Immortal Desires Can be Deadly
by MajorWhitlocklvr89
Summary: Bella has been savagely attacked by Edward and left for dead. On her way to being healed, the reason behind the attack is revealed and Bella has to choose. Leave,or give in to the desires of the Doctor who wants eternity with her
1. Disclaimer

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Twilight world...I just mess with their lives and pair them off with whomever I wish**

**So don't sue me**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Twilight….the only thing I own from this is the plot and a slightly delusional mind….oh well**

**A/N: POV is Bella unless otherwise stated…takes place sometime during Eclipse…where..IDK**

Chapter 1: An Act of Betrayal and Savagery

I was cold, wet, and bleeding. I had wrapped what remained of my clothing around my battered body. I was in so much pain that I wanted to scream, but I didn't because I didn't know if HE was still out there. I had been so stupid to follow him into the forest. I knew when he asked me to take a walk with him that it wasn't good. Especially since I just got back from spending time with Jake.

I didn't notice when we crossed into the Pack's territory, making it impossible for Alice to see us. I trusted him because he was so calm. I know now that it was just the calm before the storm.

**Flashback**

Edward and I were walking out in the forest. I had just gotten back from visiting Jake. I knew that he would be angry that I snuck away from Alice, again, to visit Jake, but I really needed to get away from the shopping. Not to mention that I had made plans with Jake and nothing he did was going to stop me.

We stopped about halfway into the forest. Then he turned to me and started yelling. He was yelling about how I wanted Jake, not him, so that is why I kept sneaking off. I was denying it as usual and I was about to call Jake or Emmett to come and get me when suddenly my phone was torn out of hand and thrown into a tree where it smashed into pieces.

I looked up at him, furious. I asked, "Edward what the hell?" Suddenly I was pinned to the ground with Edward pinning my arms above my head. I got a glimpse of his eyes and I knew that I was in big trouble. His eyes were so black that it looked like there was nothing there.

I tried to get loose, but his vampire strength was too much. So I tried talking to him. That only made it worse. Suddenly he was tearing off my clothes, muttering something about finding proof of Jake on me. I fought him the best I could, but it was pointless.

I was able to get one hand free and I slapped him. Big mistake. He pushed my legs apart and unzipped his pants. I tried to fight, but he slapped me so hard that I blacked out.

When I woke up, I knew in an instant what he had done.

**End Flashback**

Luckily, my jacket was intact, so I put it on, the hem going to a little below my knees. I slowly stood, so sore that I nearly collapsed. I went over to a tree, leaned against it, and started thinking. Charlie wouldn't be looking for me, thinking that I'm still with Alice. Alice can't have seen me, since I am on Pack land, as I've just realized.

I also just realized something else. I could tell that I was close enough to the borderline, and the Cullen's house, that if I could walk there fast enough, I could get their help. I gathered what strength I had and started walking.

As I was walking, I gained speed and started to run, afraid for the first time of the forest that surrounded me. The pain that was coursing through my body kept me from feeling anything else. All I knew was that I had to get to the Cullen house.

I know, it seems strange that I would go to the family of the man, sorry, boy that raped me, but I didn't blame them for anything. It's not their fault that Edward is a complete psycho.

Joy filled me when I saw the lights of the Cullen house. I took one step and collapsed, all of my energy gone. My body was screaming in agony. I was only a few yards away and I was barely conscious. I didn't know how much longer I could stay awake, so before I passed out I did the only thing I could. I shouted, "Jasper, help me!" as loud as I could. I yelled his name because it was the only one I could think of.

Hopefully he heard me. Hopefully I was close enough for them to find me.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight…which sucks…cause I really want Jasper…maybe I can ask for it for Christmas….**

Chapter 2: Discovery and New Friendships

**Jasper's POV**

My family and I are sitting around the dining room table, worried. Bella had snuck off to hang with her friend Jake after figuring out that Edward, my insanely crazy and overprotective brother, conspired with my wife to keep Bella at the house so that she couldn't see Jake. My wife wasn't responsible for causing this. She just really wanted to spend time with Bella.

We haven't called Charlie yet, hoping that Bella and the also missing Edward are together, getting the alone time they need since Victoria's newest threat has put some stress on their relationship. Emmett and Carlisle were discussing what to do next when suddenly we all heard "Jasper, help me!"

We all recognized the voice as Bella's. Thinking the worst, we all ran outside. We waited for another shout, but none came. Suddenly Alice doubled over screaming, "NO! Edward, what did you do?" We all went over and I asked, "What did you see darlin'?" She finally stopped and said, "Edward raped Bella! He flipped out and raped her. I didn't see it at first because it was on the Pack's land but I just now saw it. Bella needs us." We got Alice standing and then we went to look for Bella.

I found her not long after hearing her shout. The pain she was in was excruciating. I shouted for the rest of my family and slowly made my way over to Bella. She wasn't unconscious, but she was definitely out of it.

She was naked, proving Alice's vision correct. She was on her side, the coat she was wearing covering what it needed to, especially now. She was facing me, but not seeing me. I knelt down in front of her, slowly so that I didn't scare her.

She finally looked up at me and she said, "You heard me." I nodded my head and then I asked, "Why did you yell for me darlin'? Why not shout for Alice or Carlisle?" She looked me straight in the eye and said, "Jasper, I trust you. You're proving right now that I can trust."

I didn't understand what she meant at first until I saw her lift one of her arms, which was covered in blood, towards me. Then it hit me. Her blood wasn't calling out to me, nor was any venom pooling in my mouth at the sight of it. I was finally in control of my thirst.

I must have been grinning like an idiot because Bella got my attention by laughing and asked me, "You figured it out didn't you?" I nodded, took her hand in mine, and said, "Bella we are goin' to be here no matter what. We ain't goin' nowhere this time, I promise you." I saw her nod and then she moved to look behind me. I turned and saw my family standing there. They all came forward slowly and stood next to us, Carlisle the closest, the doctor in him coming out as his concern for Bella grew. I took another look at what she was wearing and turned to Emmett, who was wearing an old jersey that was even big for him.

He got what I was trying to say and took his jersey off and handed it to me. I turned back to Bella and handed it to her. She tried to sit up, but the stiffness of her body made it difficult. Just as I was about to help, Rose came forward and gently helped her up. Bella was just as confused as I was at Rose's sudden warmth towards her. I think Rose felt it because she said, "I never hated Bella. I was just afraid of getting attached when I knew it would end badly with Edward. Not that I expected this. I am so sorry Bella."

Bella shook her head and said, "I never thought that you hated me. You were just protecting your family." They briefly hugged and then after telling us guys to turn around, Alice and Rose helped her out of the coat and into the jersey.

When we were allowed to turn back around, Carlisle asked, "Bella, do you want us to call Charlie and tell him what happened?" She shook her head and said, "Not yet. I want to know what he did to me and then I want to get cleaned up." We all agreed, understanding why she said it. If Charlie saw her now, there would be no stopping him if he went after Edward. On the other hand, if he saw her after she was examined and cleaned up, he might want to go after Edward, but his main concern would be Bella. Carlisle then asked, "Do you want to go to the hospital to be examined? I have the equipment at the house if you want to avoid the hospital."

Bella nodded and so we moved to go home. Emmett picked Bella up very carefully, so he didn't push on any wounds she had. Alice followed her blood trail back, which didn't end on Pack land, but ours, and gathered the remnants of Bella's clothes. We didn't have to ask her, Alice burned them as soon as we got to the house.

On the way there, Bella never let go of Rose's hand. While I'm glad that they're friends, the circumstances behind it formation are horrible. We all walked at a human pace, eager to make sure the human girl who had wormed her way into our lives, and our hearts, was alive and well.

I can tell you this: If Edward ever comes back here and the Pack or Charlie don't get him, this entire family will be ripping him to shreds for what he has done to Bella. He won't survive another sunrise.

One more thing: I felt some weird emotions coming from Carlisle, the weirdest being guilt and love, and not the love of a father to a daughter either. I wanted to ask, but now is not the time.

I'm feelin' tired now. It seems that Bella has fallen asleep. We are at the house now. Time to see how deep Edward's madness goes.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight…darn**

Chapter 3: A New Room…Maybe a New Life?

We finally got back to the house. I am in so much pain and so tired that I just want to sleep, but I need to know what Edward did to me and I want to take a shower to get him off of me. Emmett carried me upstairs to a room that I had never seen before. It was full of hospital equipment, machines, and a bed.

Emmett set me down on the bed and then went to the door. Carlisle came over and said, "Bella, the rape examination is very personal. If you're not comfortable with me doing, Rose or Alice can. They have the training." I nodded and looked at them both. They whispered to themselves and then made the guys leave the room. Rose came up and said, "Alice is going to do the exam. I'm going to talk with you so that it goes by quicker." I nodded and then they both began. While Alice did the exam, Rose talked to me. She kept me so distracted that it wasn't long before Alice was done.

She looked at me and said, "You were raped, but he didn't leave anything, which probably means he used a condom. Now, Carlisle is going to come in and check the rest of your injuries since I don't have that kind of training." I nodded and she went to the door and let Carlisle in. He came over to the bed and asked, "Are you okay with me finishing the exam?" I nodded and said, "I trust you Carlisle." He nodded and then finished the exam. No broken bones, but a lot of bruises. It seemed that while I was knocked out, Edward not only raped me, but also decided to beat me up a little, at least from a vampire's point of view. To humans, it looked like I had gotten the shit beat out of me. Hope I can convince Charlie to let me skip school until they fade a bit more.

After he was done, I turned to Alice and said, "Call Charlie. I'll explain it to him tonight. Now, where can I take a shower?" Alice smiled for the first time tonight and said, "C'mon, I'll show you." She and Carlisle helped me off the bed and we made our way to yet another part of the house I had never seen.

We stopped at a purple door with my name on it. I looked at Alice and she said, "I knew that you would need a room of your own, so we built you one." She opened the door and we stepped inside. It was like she took this room right out of my mind, and knowing Alice, she probably did. A huge canopy bed made of black oak and covered in purple bedding was on one wall. A desk of the same wood was against another with a brand new laptop and printer on it. A third wall held a dresser and the door to what I guessed would be a huge closet. The fourth and final wall had some wall hangings and the door to the huge bathroom. I grinned and said, "I love it." My family, yes I am calling them that smiled and then walked over and we hugged.

Alice took the liberty of shooing everyone out of my room as I started looking for pajamas. I found them in one of the dresser drawers: a tank top, flannel pants, and the top to match. I grabbed underwear and made my way to the bathroom. Before I went in, I turned to Alice and asked, "Alice, I love most of the clothing you bought, but can we do some online shopping tomorrow? A lot of them are…"

"What Edward would want you to wear? Yeah, we can do that." I smiled and then went to take a long shower. I turned the water on as hot as I could stand it and waited. While I waited for it to heat up, I stripped off Emmett's jersey, put it in the sink, and ran cold water over it. I looked up at the mirror and saw my body. I didn't like what I saw, so I got into the shower and started scrubbing.

By the time the water ran cold, my skin was crab red and I had cried my eyes out a dozen times. I turned it off and stepped out. The theme of my bathroom was green and black, so I grabbed a green towel and dried off. I could hear voices downstairs and wondered if Charlie was here yet. I got dressed, loving the soft looseness of the pajamas. I put my hair in a loose braid, hung my towel and Emmett's jersey to dry, and then headed downstairs. I was near the bottom of the staircase when I heard Charlie say, "Alice, tell me why you called me at one in the morning to say that I needed to come here. Did something happen to Bella?"

I decided to make myself known, so I said, "Dad, we need to talk."


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight…stupid Genie...**

Chapter 4: A Father's Worst Fear

**Charlie's POV**

What a night. There's been a series of robberies in town for the past month. Nothing major, just tiring. We finally caught the kid doing the robberies tonight. I finished the report around midnight, the kid confessing not long after we arrested him. I was on my way home when my cell went off, the ringtone telling me it was Alice calling.

I picked up, thinking that she was calling to ask me to let Bella stay over longer. As long as it was Alice asking, I didn't mind saying yes. Now if it was Edward asking, my answer would always be no. That kid never sat right with me. He broke my daughter's heart, left her in the woods alone, and just when she was getting back to normal; he waltzes in with some lame excuse and expects me to forgive him for putting Bella through hell. Not a chance.

So after I press answer on my phone, I ask, "What do you need Bella for now Alice?" Expecting her usual giggle, I was shocked when she said in a very serious tone, "Charlie, I need you to come to the house. We need to tell you something. It concerns Bella." I was immediately angry; my first thought being that Edward left Bella again. I said, "I'll be right there."

It took me fifteen minutes to get to the Cullen house. I ran to the front door, but before I could bang on it, the door was opened by Dr. Cullen. He let me in and I immediately went over to Alice. I asked her, "Where's Bella, what happened?" She told me to sit down and after I did, she said, "Charlie, I want to apologize right now. When I planned this weekend, I had no idea that Bella had plans with Jake. If I had, I would not have made plans that kept her from hanging out with him. I was totally misinformed as to her plans and I apologize."

At first I was confused by what she meant. Then it hit me. Edward had gone behind Bella's back and made sure that she would be too busy to have fun with Jake. I've heard of jealousy, but this is beyond ridiculous. This was even beyond the point of controlling.

Alice didn't seem like she was going to say anything else and neither did anyone else. I stood up and said, "Alice, tell me why you called me at one in the morning to tell me to come here. Did something happen to Bella?"

Alice was about to say something when she looked behind me. I turned and saw Bella standing there at the foot of the stairs. She said, "Dad, we need to talk." She took a step forward and with one look, I knew that my daughter's life had changed again and not in a good way.

**A/N: Okay, so Charlie is slightly informed and probably majorly worried about Bella's frame of mind now…so do you think he'll go after Edward, or will the Cullen family keep him here for his own safety?**


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight…or so the doctors say…hehe**

Chapter 5: Charlie is Told…and Strange Dreams Occur

I took another step forward and said, "Before I start explaining, I want you to sit down Dad. I don't need you collapsing on me." He sat back down and I went over and say by Rose, the rest of the family arranging themselves around us. I looked at Charlie, took a deep breath, and began telling my dad what had happened tonight.

"As Alice already told you, I made plans to hang out with Jake this weekend. Edward found out and conspired with Alice, who only helped him because Edward didn't tell her the truth, to keep me here so I couldn't see Jake. I figured it out and was angry. Jake was at school when I got there, so I skipped school to hang out with him." I took another breath and continued. "When Jake took me home, Edward was there waiting for me. Jake offered to either take me back to the reservation or wait with me until you got home. I told him neither offer was necessary. After he left, Edward asked me to take a walk with him. I stupidly went along, but I took my phone, thinking that I would call someone if he started being stupid again."

"We had been walking for a long time when he stopped and turned to face me. He started yelling about how I wanted Jake that I was sneaking off to be with Jake. I kept denying it, as usual, and I was about to call Jake or Emmett to come and get me when he took my phone and threw it against a tree, which completely destroyed it. I yelled at him and next thing I knew, he was pinning me to the ground with my arms pinned above my head. I tried to calm him down, but it didn't work. Then he started ripping my clothes, saying that he was going to find proof that Jake and I had been together."

The next part was hard, because I knew that by saying it, I was going to confirm Charlie's worst fear. I took yet another deep breath and said, "I was able to get one of my arms free and I slapped him, hoping it would snap him out of it. It only made it worse. He…he pushed my legs apart and then I don't know. I tried to fight him and he hit me so hard that my head hit a tree and I blacked out."

I didn't tell him the rest; I didn't think he could take it. He noticed my wet hair and asked, "Bella, why did you take a shower?" Carlisle stepped in by saying, "Bell didn't want to go to the hospital. I have the proper equipment here to do most exams and procedures Bella was examined by a friend of mine and she took a shower after." I looked at Carlisle, wondering where that "friend" of his had come from, but he didn't look at me and I figured he would have it all figured out soon anyway.

I could see on Charlie's face that he still had one important question, so I quickly answered it, "He used a condom." He looked mildly relieved. He then asked, "You ready to go home Bella?" The thought of returning to the one place Edward could get in without any trouble terrified me so much that Jasper looked at me and sent out waves of calmness to help me get past it. I shook my head and said, "Dad, Edward used to sneak in at night and sleep next to me. Right now, I associate our house with him more than here. I can't stay there right now. Does that bother you?" Alice jumped in by saying that I was more than welcome to stay here. Charlie nodded at her and then shook his head at me and said, "Whatever you need kiddo, we'll do it. Now, what do you want to do about school?"

"Dad, I can't handle questions right now, and considering I look like I was in a car wreck, there would be a lot of them." Charlie nodded and said, "I'll pull you out for two weeks. That should give your bruises enough time to fade. If the school asks why, I can tell them it's for personal reasons. What about your schoolwork?" Alice jumped in again and told him that she would get it for me. I, on the other hand, was starting to fall asleep in my chair. Jasper felt it and said, "Chief Swan, I think Bella needs to sleep. We can talk more when Bella is rested and ready." Charlie agreed with him, turned to Carlisle and said, "Dr. Cullen, I'm getting Bella a restraining order against your son. Is that going to be a problem? Do you have any objections?"

Carlisle looked him straight in the eye and said, "No, it will not be and I do not have any objections. He ceased to be my son the moment he did this to Bella. He is no son of mine, nor is he allowed in this house ever again. Do what you must Chief Swan." I knew it was hard for Carlisle to do that. While a part of him wanted to protect Edward; another larger part of him knew it was dangerous to do so and also that it would be a death sentence for me if he was allowed to return to the house.

Before Charlie left he asked, "Do you want me to tell Jake or do you want to?" "I'll tell Jake tomorrow. I'll see you later Dad. I've got to get some sleep." He nodded, kissed my forehead, and left.

I turned, said goodnight to everyone, and went back to my room. I crawled under the blankets and tried to sleep. But once again, because of Edward, I couldn't sleep because of either nightmares of what happened or weird dreams about what happened with James at the ballet studio. Those dreams freaked me out. Instead of the dream playing like the memory I had of that day, certain details changed. James was pacing and muttering something I couldn't understand. Also, in my dream, he wasn't even holding a camera. He wasn't even trying to kill me either.

Suddenly, Edward was there. He was angry and his anger was apparently directed towards me. James was suddenly in front of me in a protective crouch. He growled and I heard Edward hiss. Edward suddenly came at him, and me, and then I was sliding towards that familiar post, splitting my head. I had been shoved by Edward, not James. I was slowly sitting up when Edward was suddenly in front of me. Instead of picking me up, he took my leg and broke it. Then he was gone again as James threw him away from me. James picked me up and tried to get me out of there. But Edward caught his leg and pulled him down to the floor.

I fell out of his arms and straight into a pile of glass, cutting my leg. James came back over to me. I saw a shadow of Edward on the floor, coming from the window ledge where he was looking down at us. James lifted my wrist to his mouth. Before he bit down I heard him say, "I do this to help you against him." Then he bit me.

Pain inflamed my body. But this time, instead of seeing things blurry, my vision was crystal clear. I saw Edward and the rest of the family show up. They ripped James from me and started to build the pyre to burn him on. I tried to shout, to tell them to stop, but the flames wouldn't let me speak. Carlisle came over to me and had Alice tie her belt around my leg. He called Edward over. I tried to tell them that this whole thing was Edward's fault, but once again I couldn't. Then Carlisle noticed the bite on my wrist. Alice recalled her vision, but Edward was adamant: I was not going to be a vampire.

Carlisle then told that he had to suck the venom out if he wanted me to remain human. I saw a look of disgust pass over his face before he reluctantly took my wrist and put his mouth over the bite and started to suck the venom out.

It was more painful than the bite itself. Not to mention that the burning sensation was still happening, this time in my heart. Then it wasn't and Carlisle was saying that my blood was clean and trying to get Edward to stop.

Now, instead of blacking out like I did that day, I got to see the rest of what happened. Edward did not stop sucking at the bite. Jasper and Emmett both had to pull him off of me. Carlisle put his scarf around my wrist to stop the bleeding and help seal it. The look in his eyes told me that he had seen a hint of what his son was capable of, but feared that if he acknowledged it, his whole world would fall apart completely.

Before I really blacked out, I saw a strange shadow pass the lower window and a voice said, "I have failed again to protect the ones I care for. I can never make it right." As I blacked out in the memory, another searing pain went through my heart, waking me up from my dream and making me scream my head off.


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight…hence why I have made Edward the bad guy…get over it**

**Chapter 6: A New Day and Jake is Informed**

The Cullens ran into my room, apparently scared that Edward was attacking me again. Jasper and Emmett went to my window, checking to make sure that no one, vampire or human, had gotten in. Alice, Rose, and Carlisle came over to me, checking to make sure that I was safe.

Rose asked, "Bella, are you okay? What happened?" I leaned back against the pillows and said, "I'm ok, it was just a nightmare." "What was it about?" "The ballet studio." "Were you just remembering what happened or did something weird happen?" I was pondering her question when I noticed the look on Carlisle's face. It was fear, as if by telling them I was about to tell a secret he was hiding. I was about to still tell them when I realized that I didn't understand what I had dreamt. I did want to figure it out without them getting worried or questioning my sanity. The look I had seen on Carlisle's face also made me question what had actually happened on that day. I decided for the moment to remain silent, so I said, "Just remembering. It probably happened because of tonight. Maybe, I don't know. All I do know is that I need to get some sleep before I have to see Jake tomorrow. I don't need to look like the walking dead tomorrow or we will have more problems."

Everyone grinned at that and Jasper said, "Bella, I can help you fall asleep tonight. After that, you're on your own. I don't want you gettin' dependent on my gift." I nodded and soon I was dead to the world.

**Alice's POV**

The scream we heard coming from Bella's room scared me so much. I try not to look for people in my Sight at night because sometimes I see things I'm not supposed to see. What worries me is that right before Bella woke up screaming, Jasper couldn't feel any of her emotions and when I tried to see what was going on, it was all fuzzy and gray. We all ran upstairs when she screamed, Jasper and Emmett immediately going to her window. No other vampires were in the area, and the only strange smell in the room was of burnt wood. I know that I've smelled it before, but even with my vampire memory I couldn't place it.

After Bella went back to sleep, with Jasper's help, we all went back to our rooms. This whole incident has been hard on us. None of us, especially me, had seen this coming. I am starting to wonder if Edward has found a way to block my visions. I've never had a vision of the past and I didn't see Bella go black before she disappeared.

This is all too weird and a little too coincidental. I took Emmett's jersey and washed it, knowing that Bella was going to wear it tomorrow.

**End Alice's POV**

I woke up the next morning refreshed and sore. I knew I had to tell Jake today before he came over here or Charlie's to check up on me. Maybe I can get the rest of the pack with him so they can try to keep him calm. I slowly got out of bed, used the bathroom, and then went to the closet to get dressed.

I picked out some ripped jeans and a red tank top. I was about to grab a hooded sweatshirt when I remembered Emmett's jersey. Needing some of my big brother's strength, I went back into the bathroom, only to see that it wasn't there. I went back into the bedroom and saw it laying there next to the jeans and tank top I had picked out. Silently thanking Alice, I picked up the jersey and smelled it. No trace of blood and Emmett's pine needle scent was all over it. I got dressed and went downstairs to get some breakfast.

When I got there, I found the Cullen family, except for Emmett, in the kitchen. Emmett was sitting at the bar, so I sat next to him and asked, "Why aren't you helping?" He gave me his familiar grim and said, "I was banished after I nearly destroyed the kitchen trying to make toast." I giggled and he turned to look at me. He grinned and said, "Nice jersey." I smiled and said, "I needed to wear it today." "Why's that Bells?" I blushed and Emmett asked, "What's the blush for Bella?" "Ok, but don't laugh. It smells like you and I need the strength to tell Jake today."

Emmett was silent for a few minutes before he gently took me in his arms and said, "I'll give you all the strength you want Bella. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, ever." With that one statement, I realized my big brother was feeling guilty for not having protected me. I gently hugged him and said, "You can't protect me from everything brother bear, but thanks for trying. I love you bro." He hugged me back and then said, "You'd better eat something because they made a lot of food."

A lot was an understatement. There were eggs, pancakes, waffles, fruit, different meats, juices, and cinnamon rolls. It was like a buffet at a hotel. I grabbed a plate, filled it with what I felt I could eat, and grabbed a glass of juice. I ate slowly, not wanting to make myself sick. When I finished Alice took my plate and cleaned it.

I went to the closet by the front door, put on some boots I had left there and the new jacket that Alice pointed out. I was about to leave for Jake's when Carlisle asked, "Are you going to walk all the way to Jacob's house Bella?" That's when I remembered that I didn't have my truck. I turned back around and asked, "Who wants to come with me to Jake's?" Carlisle, who had very quickly put the food away, walked over and said, "We are all going. We want to support you and show the pack that we are behind you and that no tolerance will be given to Edward, since I know they will have questions for us about what needs to be done should Edward return here. I know that Sam will have a few questions for as to why this happened." I nodded and we all went to the garage. Emmett and Rosalie got in the Jeep while Alice and Jasper climbed into the Mercedes with Carlisle and me.

As we drove to the borderline, I turned to Carlisle and asked, "Can I ask you something?" "Of course Bella, what is it?" "Ok, you told me that you've been alive for nearly 400 years. You also told me that you've resisted human blood that whole time, and by doing so, you've become immune to the scent of it." "Correct. So what is your question?" "If you can't smell human blood, how were you able to tell that my blood was clean when we were at the ballet studio after James bit me?" Carlisle was quiet for a few minutes before he said, "That's a very good question Bella. I didn't even realize it at the time. I'll do some research and we'll figure it out."

I nodded and then talked to Alice about how we would do the online shopping when we got back to the house. Soon enough, we reached the borderline between Cullen land and Pack land. I got out of the car first, the rest of the family following me.

Alice had called Charlie in the car and asked him to call Jake and Have him meet us here. Not even five minutes after we arrived, Jake came running up. He saw me and he angrily asked, "What happened to Bella?" I took a step back, scared by his tone. I ended up in Carlisle's arms. He looked at Jake and said, "We need to talk to you and the Pack." Jake, shocked by my movement, didn't respond at first. Once he got over his shock, he shifted and called to the Pack. He had learned to leave extra clothes around because he went into the woods and came back human and clothed.

It didn't take the Pack long to show up. They too came to us, in human form and clothed. Sam got one look at me and started growling, mostly while giving the Cullens evil looks. I put a stop to it by saying, "Sam, stop it. The Cullens had nothing to do with what happened. It was Edward and Edward alone." "He is their son and brother, therefore he is their responsibility." "Sam, they didn't know what he was going to do, they have no blame in this." "How? The little one had visions, she probably saw it and let it happen!" "She couldn't have." "Why?" "It happened on your land! She can't see anything there."

Before I could say anything else, Alice said, "Actually Bella, it happened on our land. I didn't see it until after you shouted for Jasper." While I thought about what she said Jake asked, "How can the psychic not see anything on the reservation? That snapped me out of my thoughts. I said, "Okay first of all, her name is Alice. Call her by her name. Second, her visions are subjective and also easy to avoid. If you don't make a decision until last minute or if you don't make one at all, you can usually avoid being seen. She can't see you because of your shape-shifter gene." Jake then asked, "Can she see the past or is her gift only seeing the future." "She can only see the future."

`That triggered something in my memory. I turned to Alice and asked, "Alice, when did you see what Edward had done to me?" "I saw it after you shouted for Jasper." "Alice you don't have visions of the past. Even if it happened on Pack land, it wouldn't delay a vision. You never would have seen it."

Everyone was silent as they took in what I said. Emmett figured it out first, followed by Jasper. They said, "Edward is blocking her visions." The rest of the Cullens and the Pack started growling. Even Carlisle was growling, which shocked me because I had never heard him growl before. Not that I blamed any of them.

If Edward was blocking Alice's visions to hide his own actions, who knows what else he might have kept her from seeing. We might even have been able to find Victoria a little bit quicker if he hadn't started blocking Alice's Sight.

I felt drained, but I knew that the questions were not finished. Jake slowly came towards me, ignoring the low growls coming from Jasper, Emmett, and surprisingly Carlisle. Jake looked straight into my eyes and asked, "Bella, what did he do to you?" I returned the look and said, "Jake, he raped and beat the hell out of me." I turned away into Carlisle's arms and started crying.

Carlisle held me close and let me cry. Once I was done I said, "Jake, I need you to keep an extra eye on Charlie. I don't want him doing anything stupid. I don't want Charlie going after him, especially since he doesn't know about the Cullens. Not to mention I don't want Edward hurting him when, and if, he finds out that I'm still alive. The same goes for you and the Pack. Promise me?" He and the rest of the Pack nodded and I quickly hugged him before returning to Carlisle's arms.

Sam looked at Carlisle and said, "Your son has harmed a human. Is he still to be protected by the treaty?" Carlisle stiffened around me and I knew that even with what happened to me, Carlisle wasn't ready to condemn Edward. I did understand a little. We didn't know what had caused Edward to snap. I decided to be the diplomat and said, "Sam, do not push for that choice. None of us know why Edward did this. Until we do, he is under probation on the treaty. If he returns, do what you must to keep him from harming others and so we can question him. Incapacitate him, but do not kill. Is that agreeable?"

Sam and the rest of the Pack nodded and said, "We will not kill him unless he harms us. Incapacitate only." I nodded and then we left, all of us still shaken by the recent revelation. As we drove back to the house, Carlisle said, "Thank you Bella for telling Sam. While I am not condoning what Edward did to you, I am not sure he was in his right mind. I want to know why before I make that decision."

"Carlisle, we'll figure it out." I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. He squeezed back lightly and then shocked me completely by holding my hand the entire way home. I didn't mind, because when I fell asleep, his presence and his grip on my hand kept the nightmares and weird dreams at bay.

**A/N: Ok, so the Pack knows and is not happy one bit. What do y'all think of Carlisle's behavior?**

**I've got one more complete chapter before I have to start writing the rest of the story and I need some help. I've got an idea for a confrontation for Bella when she returns to school. I have the confrontation point down but I need the other person and how far it should go. If y'all have any ideas PM me so I can get another chapter out.**

**Oh and any ideas for how the reason for Bella's attack should come out to everyone in the family are much appreciated…thanks everyone**


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight…if I did…Edward would have been arrested for stalking a long time ago..HA!**

**Chapter 7: Dreams Intensify and a Theory Proposed**

My two week "vacation" ended too quickly and soon it was time for me to return to school. The bruises had faded to a lighter blue and were going green. My face was no longer bruised, but I still had a black eye. The cuts I did have had healed, but left really deep scars that were cold like the one on my wrist due to the venom that Edward had leaked. To ease the muscle soreness, and because I wanted to, I started running around the Cullen property or on the reservation with the Pack.

Since I had to return to school tomorrow, I talked with my family today about how I would deal with things, most importantly, the questions. While we knew that some lying would be necessary, I wasn't going to lie about it totally. It was decided that I would use the same details I had given Charlie and hope that nobody wanted anymore details. That afternoon, Carlisle gave me an envelope, stating that it was a note for the office telling them that if I came to them requesting to leave due to what happened, I was to be allowed to leave, along with anyone else that I wanted to go with me, namely my siblings.

I dreaded going to bed that night. Over the past two weeks I had stopped having nightmares of the night I was raped. Now, the only dreams I was having were dreams of the past. Most were of the ballet studio, with each night the dream becoming clearer and clearer. Other nights, there were dreams of the baseball game that preceded it.

It was like I was reading a comic book. The dream started right after Alice had her vision of James, Victoria, and Laurent heading our way. I had taken my hair down, like Edward told me to, and waited. This request actually struck me as odd. I remembered Edward's reaction when the fan in our science class had blown my hair, and my scent, towards him. If he wanted to protect me from the nomads, then I should have left my hair up, maybe even put on a hooded sweatshirt to cover what I could up.

After I had taken my hair down, that's when the comic book stuff started. While my family and the nomads stood face to face, I started seeing thought bubbles appear over a few heads. Most of the Cullens, namely Emmett, were bored and wanted the nomads to leave so we could finish the game.

It was the thoughts coming from Edward that were confusing and frightening to me. In less than graphic terms, Edward wanted to screw Victoria. I saw his bubble float towards James, who hissed at the thought. Then another thought snuck out of Edward's head. It was an image of him killing me and raping my body at the same time. This image was also projected, though not intentionally, to James. He growled this time and his eyes flickered towards me. I recognized the look immediately. It was a look of concern, love, and a need to protect. He quickly scanned the rest of the Cullens, trying to figure out, by my guess, if they were in on Edward's plan.

Suddenly, the wind came and blew right through my hair, carrying my scent right to James and the others. James sniffed at the air and then turned towards us. That is when I noticed his eyes clearly for the first time. They were red, but there was a great amount of gold in them. I realized that he was a vegetarian being forced to drink human blood. Then he made the snack comment.

The Cullens jumped in front of me, all of them in protective crouches, except for Edward. He was facing away from the rest, in an attack crouch. That and James' comment confused me. Then I realized what James was doing. He was testing the Cullens. If they had shrugged off his comment, he would know that I was in grave danger. Since they hadn't, he knew that the threat to my life was Edward.

Just before I was dragged away by Edward, I heard James clearly say, "I will protect you because I failed to protect her." I smelled burnt wood before I woke each time; luckily I had stopped screaming every time I woke up.

The two weeks I spent out of school I had these dreams. I don't know the meaning behind them yet, but I will figure it out soon. I thought at first it was because of what Edward did, but that confused me even more. Why would I put James as my protector in my dreams since he tried to kill me? I haven't told any of my family yet, because I don't want to freak them out.

Charlie came by a lot during those two weeks. He brought some of my stuff over with him, figuring that I would be staying with the Cullens for a long time. I don't think he minded as much as I thought, as he started dating Sue Clearwater. That connection would be very useful in the future. Charlie also informed me that he had gotten the restraining order against Edward for me and that he had gone to the school and discussed everything with the principal and security.

My new clothes had arrived during the second week of my vacation. Alice, sensing a new me, had let me choose everything for once. I had gotten a lot of jerseys in different colors, ripped hip hugger jeans, tank tops, and different types of boots and sneakers. After dinner, I laid out my clothes for school and then I went back downstairs. Everyone wanted to have a "family fun" night before I went back to school.

We ended up watching movies all night because playing board games with Alice wasn't fun at all. We were watching a cheesy vampire movie when I fell asleep against Carlisle. I had been falling asleep earlier and earlier in the day, probably due to the fact that I didn't sleep much at night. These weird "memory" dreams are driving me crazy.

As I fell asleep, I started having the ballet dream again. I went through the dream and right after James bit me, I felt that familiar flame go through my heart as his venom coursed through my body. From what I remembered of what Carlisle told me of the change, the burn coming from my heart wasn't supposed to happen until the third day of the change, not ten minutes into it.

As the dream went on, more details kept coming into the dream. When Edward finally took my wrist to suck the venom out, I took a good long look into his eyes. They were the same color as James' were at the field; only Edward's eyes were redder. Was Edward cheating on the diet? If so, for how long and did anyone know?

The burning continued and intensified as Edward sucked the venom out. At times it would seem like it was over, but then it would start all over again. The burn would be so intense that I felt like I was melting into a puddle of goo. At other times, it felt like my heart would explode, it burned so bad that I was surprised that Jasper didn't feel my pain and come over.

Finally, it hit me. Edward was pushing venom into my veins, torturing me, then sucking it back out since he didn't want me to be a vampire. He did this until Carlisle mentioned how much blood I was losing. The burn finally ceased, except for my heart. It was still burning. Then the dream continued with Jasper and Emmett pulling Edward off of me and Carlisle putting his scarf around my wrist. A final flame seared my heart and I jolted awake, my hand on my heart.

Carlisle gently touched my arm and asked, "Bella, what's wrong?" Trying to catch my breath, I turned to face him. Still breathing heavily, I reached for the scarf he wore. I didn't look at him, but he seemed to know what I wanted. He undid the knot and handed it to me. It was the same one he had worn the day at the ballet studio. I slid my right sleeve up and wrapped the scarf around my wrist. It felt familiar and safe.

I finally looked up, into Carlisle's bright topaz eyes and said, "You wrapped this around my wrist after Jasper and Emmett pulled Edward away. He didn't stop, did he?" Carlisle, for the first time since I met him, hesitated before he spoke. He said, 'Your blood was clean and it seemed that when I told him, he started to suck harder at your wrist."

Rose asked, "Bella, you remember that? I thought you were out of it…." I hesitated, but then I realized that if I really wanted to understand what my dreams were trying to tell me, I had to tell my family so they could fill in the blanks. So I told them everything: Every detail, every image, even the smells in the dreams.

Their reaction was exactly was I thought it would be, though they did tone it down a little. Once again, Carlisle shocked me by growling. I looked up and saw his eyes. His eyes were dark, not black, but a few shades darker than they should be. I made him face me and said, "Carlisle, calm down. I need you calm because I need answers only you can give."

Carlisle closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. When he opened his eyes again, they were again the bright topaz that I had grown to love. He looked at me and asked, "What do you need from me Bella?" I said, "I need you to check my heart. I think maybe some of James' venom did make it to my heart."

**A/N: Okay…so Bella's dreams might actually be repressed memories. How will that coincide with the possibility that James' venom may have gone to her heart? And, if James was trying to protect her and not kill her, what does that mean for the fight against Victoria?**

**Still need ideas for the confrontation in Chapter 8 which I am working on now…so this will be the last complete chapter I post until Chapter is finished…so give me ideas if you want more chapters…**


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight…if I did..Charlie would have figured everything out quicker**

**A/N: Okay…here it is…Chapter 8…I finally got past the confrontation and finished the rest of the chapter. I hope you all like it…let me know what you think… **

**Chapter 8: A Theory Investigated & 1****st**** Day Back**

We were all silent as my theory and request was processed. Jasper was the first to speak saying, "Bella, his venom couldn't have reached your heart that fast. He couldn't have put enough in your system by the time we pulled him from you." "Jasper, he had my wrist in his mouth for at least five minutes and Carlisle didn't notice the bite for another ten, fifteen minutes at the most. We don't know how much venom he was able to inject."

I turned to Carlisle again and asked, "What do you need to do to check my heart?" He said, "If you would be okay with it, I can put my ear to your chest and listen." I nodded and went with him to the hospital room, the rest of the family following.

I lay down on the bed again and lifted the t-shirt I was wearing. Carlisle gently put his head on my chest and listened to my heart. A few minutes later, he pulled away, lowered my shirt, and then went to sit in a chair with his head in his hands. I went over to him, crouched down in front of him, and asked, "Did it reach my heart?"

He looked up at me and said, "Your heart is beating slower than it should be. I would need to draw some blood to be completely sure." I nodded and held my arm out so he could draw blood from me. He collected what he needed and then asked, "Is there anything else?" "Yeah, but it can wait until after school. I'm going to try and get some sleep before the Spanish Inquisition tomorrow." They all laughed and then we went to bed. Carlisle followed me and made sure I was okay before he went to his own room. I tossed and turned for a bit before I fell asleep.

The next morning, I got up, showered, and got dressed in dark blue ripped jeans, a green tank top, a green football jersey, and my converse. I put my hair in a tight braid, put some light make up on, and went downstairs to eat breakfast. I walked into the kitchen where I found the entire family waiting.

I heated up some of the leftovers from yesterday's breakfast, got a glass of juice, some coffee, and sat down to eat. After a few bites, I asked, "So what is everyone doing today?" Alice hopped onto the counter and said, "We are going to school with you." Then she giggled. I was a little confused, especially since Rose, Jasper, and Emmett had graduated last year. Then I saw Emmett grinning, so I took the bait and asked, "Okay, so how did you do it?" Emmett laughed and said, "We had the family lawyer do it. We are now seniors with you Bells." Jasper then said, "We also figured you would want as much support as possible today."

It didn't take me long to figure out what they were doing. By staying in Forks, they were showing the town that they cared. By coming to school with me and having my back, they were telling everyone that not only were they supporting me, they were also saying that Edward was not being protected and that they were choosing me over their brother and son.

I nodded and said, "Okay then. We'd better go now so we can get there on time." We all left the kitchen and started piling in cars. I climbed in with Rose and Emmett and buckled up. I had ridden with Emmett before and I remembered how fast he drove. To my surprise, Emmett drove the speed limit all the way to school. We talked about different things the whole way. When Rose mentioned something about my friends, I became worried and slightly afraid. None of my friends, except Angela and Ben, had ever really liked the Cullens, especially Mike. Knowing that the reason why I had missed school had circulated the entire town, I know Mike and a few other people would hate the Cullens and try to mess with them or take me away.

When I mentioned this fact to Rose and Emmett, their growls echoed through the forest. Rose said, "Don't worry Bella. None of us will let that happen. If anyone tries to hurt you or do anything to you, yell for one of us if you can." She took a dark green I-phone out of her purse and handed it to me. "If you can't yell, call one of us. We are all on speed dial: Carlisle is number one, Emmett and I are two and three, Jasper and Alice are four and five, and your dad is six."

I took the phone and put it in my purse. I was glad to have it, especially since my old phone got smashed. We then talked about all the schoolwork I had barely finished, thanks to Jasper and Carlisle helping me a whole bunch, especially with history and math. I smiled at the memory of Jasper and Carlisle doing a reenactment of a battle that Jasper had been helping me answer a question to. I remembered the look on Carlisle's face when Jasper beat him a swordfight to show me how someone back during the Civil War had been defeated in battle.

I fell silent as we pulled into the school parking lot next to Jasper's mustang. I didn't want to get out, but I knew that I had to deal with it sooner rather than later. Emmett took my backpack out before he helped me out of the Jeep. I noticed Mike, Jessica, and the rest of my friends standing next to Tyler's van as usual. I was dreading the conversation that would not surprisingly happen.

I hesitated, not really wanting to talk to them and just get through the day. Jasper put a hand on my shoulder and said, "We are right behind you Bella." I nodded and started walking towards the main building. As I walked through the student population, people started whispering and staring as we passed them. I couldn't really catch what they were saying, but judging by the looks on my sibling's faces, what they were saying was not anything good. I was surprised that none of them had snapped yet, especially with how Jasper was looking, he could not be handling the anger well.

I was hoping to pass Mike and the others without anything happening, but apparently my luck was still not that great. Mike, Jessica, and the others popped up in front of us, blocking our path to the classrooms. Mike and Jessica were glaring at the Cullens, Angela and Ben were looking at me like they wanted to talk, and the others were just standing around, in support I guess. I could already tell that this was going to be bad. I just didn't know how bad it was going to be.

Mike was the first to speak. He smirked a little and said, "Bella, long time, no see." I was a little worried by his smirk, bit I decided to let it slide and said, "Yeah, I've been out for awhile." Jessica made a sound that resembled a giggle and said, "Yeah, and we know why. Guess you couldn't walk much right?" She giggled again and Mike laughed. Angela and Ben gave them hateful looks and then looked to see what I would do.

I asked, "What do you mean Jessica?" Mike answered for her saying, "Well Bella, WE heard that you and Eddy boy had a real wild night a couple of weeks ago and that's why you missed school. I didn't know you liked it rough Bella." I froze completely. They didn't believe that I was raped. They thought Edward and I had sex. They thought that he and I had had consensual rough sex. They thought I had enjoyed it.

I faintly heard the Cullens start to growl and I hushed them. I turned back to Mike and asked, "What the hell did you just say?" He smirked big time and said, "You heard me. If I had known that you liked it rough, I would have gotten you to go out with me a long time ago." Then he moved closer to me than I liked and grabbed my arm hard and right at my breast line. Once again I heard Rose, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice growling and this time I didn't hush them up. I also saw Angela and Ben glaring at Mike and Jessica.

I snapped. I stepped on his foot and pulled my arm out of his grasp. Emmett pulled me behind all of them for protection. He and Rose were about to head-to-head with Mike and Jessica, and so were Alice and Jasper. Rather than risk the only people I trusted getting suspended for fighting, I decided to speak.

I said, "Like it rough? You think I like it rough Mike? You think I enjoyed being pinned to the forest floor, my clothes being ripped off of me, raped, and then beaten to within an inch of my life? I was nearly killed by the man I thought loved me, but instead he used me like some piece of meat and left me to die in the middle of a FUCKING forest! Do I sound like someone who enjoyed that?"

"No Mike, I didn't enjoy that. Much like I don't enjoy you touching me. So let's solve that problem with this very simple solution: DON'T TOUCH ME! Don't look at me. Don't come near me. Don't talk to me." To make my point clear, I swung my fist out and hit him on the jaw. It hurt, but I did some damage to Mike's face, which felt good. I saw his head go back and a whimper of pain. He looked at me wide eyed, shocked that I would even do that to him.

I turned to Jessica and said, "The same goes for you Jessica. You've never liked me, so stop pretending." I started to walk away, but then I decided that I had something else to say to her. I got up close and said, "If I were you, I'd get a new boyfriend. If he likes to do it rough, I'd be worried about what he'd do to you." I grabbed the Cullens and walked past the crowd, Angela and Ben following close behind.

As we walked to the office so I could give them Carlisle's note, I could feel Jasper trying to calm me down, which I definitely appreciated. As I turned to thank him, I saw Angela and Ben out of the corner of my eye. I turned and I was about to say something when Angela beat me to it.

She kept her distance, probably knowing that close contact was not good for me right now. She said, "Bella, Ben and I believe you. We are not here to make trouble. We just want to support you." I could feel everyone relax when she said that, thanks to Jasper's gift. I went up to her and said, "Sorry Angela. I just didn't know whose side you and Ben were on."

"I understand. Just to let you know, your dad came by my parent's house after what happened. He told us what had happened. I guess he figured you might need someone to talk to." I was a little confused at first, and then she said, "I was raped freshman year. I know what you're going through. Don't worry; Mike and Jessica are the only ones who don't believe."

I was glad, because I didn't really need someone calling me a liar right now. "Thanks Angela. Can I get yours and Ben's numbers again since my phone got smashed?" She and Ben nodded and we all exchanged phone numbers. She and Ben stuck around while we gave the office the note Carlisle had given me and we got our new schedules. Apparently, the Cullens, Angela, Ben, and I had all the same classes. I had a feeling that Alice and the family lawyer had something to do with it, but since neither Angela nor Ben protested, I let it go. We all left the office and went to first period.

The rest of my first day back was better. I did have a few people come up and asked me what happened. I gave them the same details I had given Charlie and that was it. At lunch, we all sat together at the Cullen table. I didn't eat much, mostly because I wasn't hungry and also because Carlisle and Rose were cooking Italian tonight and I was craving it.

On the way to gym, which the Cullens didn't have, Angela said, "Okay, I'm not trying to say anything against any of the Cullens, but I am curious and you'll probably get asked this. Why are you staying with the Cullens after what Edward did?"

All I said was, "They found me. Edward raped me about 100 yards away from the house. They found me, took care of me, and are helping me heal." I also told her how Edward would sneak into my room at Charlie's, so I didn't feel safe there anymore. She accepted it and moved on. I was glad of that, though I did wish I could tell her the truth. I'd have to ask the rest of my family if I could, because I feared that if Edward did return, he would use those closest to me in order to hurt me and his family further and also to get me to do anything he wanted. His first target would probably be Charlie, and I feared that Angela would be his second.

The only other bad part of my day was History with Mr. Henderson. Nobody liked him, especially the girls. This was mostly because he blames every single thing that's happened on earth on women. You name it, we caused it. Yet, even with this belief, it didn't stop him from making sick comments and innuendo. This dude was on every woman's shit list, including mine and I had a feeling that this year, he'd only dig himself deeper.

While Angela was waiting for Ben after gym, Rose and the others showed up to go home. I asked Rose if it was okay if I invited Angela and Ben to dinner. She and the others said it was okay, but that just for safety's sake, they would need to go hunting right after school. Knowing this, I went to Angela, and after asking them to dinner and getting their acceptance, I asked her and Ben if they could give me a ride home since Rose and the others had to run a few errands before starting dinner. Angela and Ben said sure and we all walked to the parking lot.

Rose, Emmett, Alice and Jasper said goodbye and sped off so they could get home and hunt. I climbed in the back of Ben's car and we also left. I knew by the time that we got to the house my family would be golden eyed and well fed. I started asking questions about what I had missed and soon we were all talking and driving towards the Cullen house.


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight…so get over it**

**A/N: I deleted all the author note chapters…any notes will be in the chapters…I'm about to write the chapter from Edward's point of view…might need some help with it cause I need to write from the point of view of a psycho…which I am not…so any ideas would be welcome..PM me or leave a comment**

**Now on with the story**

**Chapter 9: Dinner with Friends/ Some Decisions are Made**

Angela, Ben, and I made it home about an hour after we left. This was due to traffic cause by Mike and Jessica having an accident. Judging by the way they were 'dressed', I can only guess at what they were doing. Also, from what Charlie was yelling about, the whole town was figuring it out too. Angela, Ben, and I barely restrained our laughter until after we passed. Karma's a bitch ain't it?

As we pulled into the driveway, I saw Jasper working on his motorcycle. He waved to us as Angela parked. Angela, Ben, and I got out of the car and walked to the house. Jasper came up behind us and said, "I'm glad Bella was able to get y'all to come out here. I hope y'all like Italian, cause Rose and Carlisle have been cookin' up a storm." Angela and Ben both assured him they did and we all went inside. Jasper kept a hand on my shoulder, sending me calming waves. I didn't even realize I was that nervous.

We walked into the house and the smells were amazing. It smelled like a pizza parlor. Carlisle and Rose were in the kitchen still, but Rose took a break to greet Angela and Ben and introduce them to Carlisle. Carlisle said hello and then went back to cooking. Alice asked Angela and Ben if they wanted anything to drink while they waited for dinner. Angela said, "I'll have water."

Ben said, "I'll have a Coke if you have it." Alice nodded and I went with her to help. As I was getting Ben's coke out of the fridge, Alice said, "I'm glad things turned out okay. I wasn't sure it would." I looked at her and she said, "Since your attack, you and your future have been blurry. So when I looked today, the outcome was uncertain." I nodded in understanding and poured the Coke into a glass.

I turned to Rose and asked, "Are you guys going to be okay eating food tonight? I totally forgot..." Rose, Alice, and Carlisle laughed a little before Carlisle said, "Bella, we can eat food. It does turn to ash when we do, so we try not to eat human food that often. The only thing we can taste and enjoy is alcohol. So don't worry Bella." I nodded and took Ben and Angela's drinks to them.

As we sat, drank, and talked, I noticed that Rose was kind of staring at Angela. I was about to ask when Alice semi-shouted, "Girl talk before dinner!" She grabbed me and Angela and we went up to the game room with Rose following. I saw Jasper give Rose a look and I felt a slight boost of confidence that I realized was aimed at Rose. I then realized that Rose was going to tell her story to Angela. I knew it would be hard for her and I vowed to help her through it.

When we got upstairs, Rose said, "Angela, my family and I want to thank you for sticking by Bella. We were afraid that she wouldn't have anyone besides us and her father to support her." Angela blushed a little before she said, "Well, when Chief Swan comes to my parent's house at 2:30 in the morning to talk to me and tell me what happened to Bella, I knew I had to be there to support her. I had to be there to…"

"Give her the support you didn't get." Rose finished her sentence for her. Angela looked at Rose and asked, "How did you know what I was going to say?" Rose took a deep, unnecessary breath and said, "It happened a few years ago, before I was adopted by Carlisle. I was visiting a friend and I was on my way home when it happened. I don't remember much, though I do remember the pain. Next thing I know, I'm in the hospital. Carlisle was my doctor and he made sure I was physically okay before I got released to my foster parents."

"But I wasn't. My foster parents didn't help me get through it. School was horrible because everyone thought I deserved it. I broke down about a month after it happened and called Carlisle for help. He was able to pull some strings with the foster care system and adopted me. It took a few more months, and a lot of therapy, but I got past it. I fell in love with Emmett and everyday he shows me how much he loves me and cares for me. I couldn't be happier with him."

We all nodded and Angela said, "I'm very sorry that happened to you Rose. I don't remember much of what happened to me either. I was in Port Angeles shopping. I got dragged into an alley. I remember the pain. A girl that worked in the coffee shop found me. Your dad was my doctor, and Bella, your dad was there with my parents the whole time. He spent almost six months trying to find the guy, but nothing came out of it."

I pulled the three of them close to me. I was proud of my sister and my friend. It could not have been easy for either of them to tell their stories, especially for Rose. She had changed a few details to make it plausible, but I know that deep inside she wanted to tell the real story of how the love of HER life betrayed her like mine did to me. As we pulled apart, Carlisle shouted, "Dinner is ready girls! Hurry before the boys eat it all!" We all laughed and 'ran' downstairs. We sat at the dining room table and watched Carlisle serve his specialty: fettuccini alfredo.

The food was delicious, which wasn't surprising. We talked while we ate, laughing mostly at Emmett's jokes and antics. As I ate, I noticed how all the couples in the room were acting towards each other. Emmett was trying to feed Rosalie, but missed her mouth every couple of times. He kisses her each time he missed as a way to apologize. Jasper and Alice were sweeter in their feeding of each other. Angela and Ben were merely holding hands at they ate. A sharp pain in my chest erupted as I realized how alone I was and how the one man I had loved and trusted had brutally attacked me and left me for dead in the middle of a fucking forest. Would I ever have what my family and friends have? Would I ever find my mate?

A pressure on my hand made me lift my head. Carlisle held my hand and gave me a smile. I smiled back just as Rose asked me to help her with dessert: chocolate cheesecake with white chocolate drizzle. I thanked Rose and then helped cut and take out slices to everyone. As I put a slice in front of Carlisle, he put my hand in his hand and, very silly but sweet like, thanked me for bringing him the second sweetest thing on the planet to him. I laughed and asked what the first sweetest thing on the planet to him was. I could swear that if he was human he would have blushed as he said I was. I giggled and kissed him on the cheek. A spark touched my lips as I did, like I had been shocked.

Not long after dessert, Angela and Ben said they had to leave so they could finish what little homework they had left from today. They hugged each of us and then left to go home. After I was sure they were gone, I turned to my family and said, "That went well…I think." They all laughed as they cleaned up the dishes and the table. I looked at Carlisle as he was cleaning and tried to figure out what had happened during dessert. I gave up and just watched as Emmett balanced a large pile of dishes on one finger. Dork

Carlisle finished putting the leftovers away, sat next to me on the couch, and said, "Alice told me earlier that you had some concerns about Angela, Ben, and your father. Can I ask what those concerns are?" "I am afraid that if Edward comes back or discovers that I am still breathing, he will hurt or kill them to get to me." Jasper spoke up by saying, "Bella's concerns are valid. Edward left her to die. If he finds out that she's still alive, it will piss him off and make him unpredictable."

Emmett asked, "What can we do? It's not like we can tell them." Rose then asked, "Why can't we? If telling them keeps them safe, then do it." Carlisle jumped in by saying, "The Volturi won't allow it. It goes against the law of humans having the knowledge of our kind."

Oh yeah, the Volturi. I had almost forgotten about those Italian bastards. Wait a minute. I turned to Carlisle and said, "The Volturi are all about limiting exposure right? Edward's actions could have lead to exposure for him and this family. If we talk to Aro and tell him all that's happened, perhaps we can persuade him that telling just those three would help keep exposure to a minimum. We explain our reasons the best we can and hopefully he will agree."

We all turned to Carlisle to get his opinion. After a few minutes, he nodded and said, "It just might work. Aro's favoritism of Edward has lessened over the years to the point that he can barely stand him. But what do we do about the Pack? We can't leave them out of a decision this big." I spoke up by saying, "We tell them about the risks and see what they say. That's all we can do."

Carlisle nodded and said, "So it's decided. I will contact Aro as soon as possible. The festival of St. Marcus ends tomorrow, so the day after that would be best. After I contact Aro, perhaps you could contact the Pack Bella?" I nodded and said, "I'll call Sam. If I tell Jake, he'll get pissed and we don't need a giant fur ball in the house." We all started laughing.

Carlisle interrupted our laughter by saying, "Aro will probably bring up the subject of your change Bella. I am hoping with what we tell them, your attack and Edward's other actions, they will give us some leniency. If Caius hears about this, we will definitely have his support for waiting on your change and dealing with Edward. Crimes against women piss him off so much it's scary."

I was kind of shocked, considering the first time I had met the man, he wanted me dead. Oh well, time for bed. I said good night to everyone and went to my room.

**CARLISLE POV**

I watched as she went up the stairs to her room. I wanted so much to comfort her right now, but I could not. I had a little at the dinner table when I saw her sad face at all the couples in the room and later when she had helped serve dessert. Her sadness was very understandable. Not knowing what love feels like, like me, is one thing. It hurts as the years pass by, but I've learned to ignore it. Bella, on the other hand, has known love and has had it thrown back at her twice now. Once, when Edward forced us to leave after that disastrous 18th birthday party, and again when he brutally raped and beat her.

I knew Edward was jealous of Bella's friendship with Jacob Black. I had hoped that after Bella told him that Jacob had found his imprint, his jealousy would lessen, if not totally disappear. I was proven wrong. Soon, Bella wasn't 'allowed' to spend time with Jacob unless she was there with her father. She also wasn't 'allowed' to spend time with her school friends, and he made sure that the time that she spent with her father was very limited. I haven't claimed her as my mate yet and I know that I would never do that.

Jasper came up to me and said, "Carlisle, I have to ask you something." Damn, he must have felt my emotions. Before I could say anything, Jasper asked, "Why do you have those feelings for Bella Carlisle?" I wanted to tell him and the rest of the family, I really did, but I was afraid of their reactions. I also wanted to tell Bella first, as it did concern her and it was the proper thing to do.

I calmed my emotions down quite a lot before I said, "Jasper, I am not yet ready to tell you. Believe me, I want to, but right now is not the best time. We need to deal with the Volturi and the Pack right now. I promise when we have dealt with them, I will tell you everything." Jasper and the rest of my family nodded and I went to my room to think over what I would say to Aro so that Bella could have time to heal, and so I could find the courage to tell my mate that I loved her.

**END CARLISLE POV**

**ALICE POV**

When Jasper asked Carlisle about his feelings for Bella, I waited with baited 'breath' to see what he would say. I have had visions about Carlisle's mate ever since Jasper and I came to the Cullens. In the visions, his mate has always been so blurry that I cannot see any features. Since we came to Forks, the blurriness had lessened, especially since Bella joined our family.

I know that Bella is Carlisle's mate. I tried to convince Edward of that a long time ago, but he wouldn't budge. He feels that since he found her first he should get her. All I know is, when Caius and Aro find out that Edward has kept Carlisle's true mate from him, there will be hell to pay.

I admitted this to Jasper as we relaxed in our room. When he asked me what their future was going to be like, I looked again, but was disappointed.

Due to Carlisle's hesitance in telling Bella and claiming her as his mate, their futures, both together and separate, were blurry as hell.

I hope this gets fixed soon, for all our sakes. I just want my 'father' and my sister to be happy.

**END ALICE POV**

**So what do you think? Good? Bad?**

**So I am about to write the chapter from Edward's mind…joy**

**If you have any ideas… PM me or leave an idea in a review…**

**I will try to have Chapter 10 out as soon as I can**


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I just own the plot...and possibly the mind of a psycho...but I'm not sure**

**Oh well**

**Sorry for the delay. Real life and lack of internet is killing my writing buzz. Luckily I have been working on this story and my other story ****Immortal Battle****. I am going to be putting up the first few chapter of that story soon.**

**A/N: For all the fans out there asking about Esme..she's not in this story. I didn't feel like having any of the characters cheat on each other or divorce for the sake of another's happiness so I just made it to where they never met**

**Warning: A lot of cussing...and brief mentions of some very messed up stuff..DON'T LIKE...DON'T READ**

**YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

**Chapter 10: In the Mind of a Psycho**

Immortality.

Eternal life...or eternal death, depending on how you look at it.

I hate it. I always have. Like Rosalie, I hate that my choice was taken from me. She has come to terms with it. I have not.

I blame Carlisle...and my mother. Stupid bitch actually thought I wanted something like this. She thought I was happy in my life. I wasn't. I heard the rumors, the whispers. I knew the truth. As for Carlisle, his damn compassion is maddening. I can't stand how he wants to live. 'Oh Edward, humans are friends, not food.' Please Carlisle, you make me sick. The only human I will probably never feed from is Jenks, but that's only because he's useful.

Yes, I'm a human drinker. I always have been. I did try at first, but it's disgusting. I only drink from animals to cover my tracks. Luckily I've learned that big carnivores, like bears and big cats, make my eyes gold enough faster, so it's easy to hide my real diet from my 'family'. But lately, the only blood I want is HERS.

Bella is not my mate. I don't even like her. The only thing I want from her is her blood. I never wanted to fuck her. Disgusting, but I knew that taking her virginity would break her, and her real mate. I bet you can't guess who it is, can you?

CARLISLE! Carlisle is her mate! I've known since before we moved to Forks. Alice told me, but I already had my plans in motion. I knew that I would meet her first, so I planned on dazzling her so that she wouldn't even look twice if she met Carlisle. I just didn't count on Tyler Fucking Crowley crashing his van. I had barely begun to dazzle her when she had to go to the hospital.

She was dazzled by Carlisle, by my 'heroics' won her over. Then she figured out what I was. I figured she'd run and stay away, forcing me to hunt. Nope, she stayed and wasn't frightened. I knew that if I wanted her blood, I would have to keep her close. So I entered into a relationship with her. It has taken everything in my power not to kill her when she touches me.

Fucking bitch! She looks just like my mother.

That's strange...I just realized that all my victims look like my mother and Bella. Guess I have real deep 'mommy' issues. She did fuck up my life so much..lying whore bitch. The blood does taste sweeter when it comes from a brunette than it does from a blonde or a redhead. Damn, now I'm thirsty.

I have a feeling that Bella is still alive. Hopefully Jasper found her and finished her off for me, but I doubt it. Ever since that fucked up party last year, Jasper has really been working on his control. He still hasn't figured out that I'm the reason he lost it that night. I had hoped he would bite her so I's get another chance to drink her blood while I 'sucked' out the venom. Fuck, now I'm thirsty and hard.

I like to drink and fuck my victims. It's the ultimate high. And no one knows, not even Alice. I've learned to avoid her visions, which is not that easy. I try to keep to a certain type, but I have to change it up every so often to keep from drawing attention to myself. I need to feed.

Keeping Carlisle and his mate apart has been my favorite game. I know that if I'm caught, the Volturi will execute me. I highly doubt that Carlisle will claim her anyway. I ruined her spectacularly. She won't want to be his mate anyway. Especially when she finds out that he knows how dangerous I am and didn't protect her.

If Bella has told anyone besides my family when I return, I'll make sure that she pays for it. I'm sure the little bitch will do whatever I want her to do if I threaten the right people. Maybe I'll start with her father. I do hate cops. Maybe after him, I'll go after Angela and her boyfriend. They never trusted me, even more so after I left Bella last year. Then the dog Jacob. I just hate him. I figure I should save the best revenge for last.

I remember leaving her. Seeing the look on her face when I told her that I didn't want her was priceless. Seeing her pain in the months after was amazing for my ego. Oh yes, I had to see what my leaving did to her pathetic ass. It was so bad and it felt so good. After seeing her fall apart, I went to Europe to relax and have fun, though I did tell my 'family' that I was 'so upset about leaving Bella' that I needed to get away.

I was relaxing in Italy when Rosalie called. Apparently Alice had unwillingly Seen Bella jump off a cliff, supposedly killing herself. To keep up the act that she was my 'mate', I made a call to the Swan house. I was extremely pissed when I heard the dog's voice on the phone. When he said that Charlie was planning a funeral, I immediately hung up. Believing Bella, the one blood source I've always wanted, to be dead, my goals in this 'life' were over. Draining my singer was the only thing I ever wanted to do. Well that, and ruining Carlisle's chance for eternal happiness.

So I went to the Volturi.

Aro, of course, denied my request. Luckily when he looked into my mind, because otherwise he and Caius would have ripped me to shreds then and there. I then decided to go outside and reveal myself. I figured that it would get me what I wanted. What I didn't expect was Bella to jump into my arms alive and well. That's when everything started to go downhill.

The Volturi's discovery of Bella interrupted my plans for good. I feared that Marcus would reveal my secret, or Alice would. But Marcus has not been interested in the bonds of others for some time now, ever since the death of his own mate. Alice knew that if she revealed my plans that she would also be executed for not stopping me. What finally ruined my plans was the fact that Aro could not use his gift on Bella. Nor could Jane.

Fuck Aro and his fucking need to collect gifted vampires!

So Bella must be changed. I'm not allowed to drain her. Damn it Aro! Well I guess if necessary I could drink while I inject my venom. Oh, wait...I'm not going to follow their decree! Next time I see the bitch, I'm fucking draining her! Screw Carlisle and his happiness!

I do have an edge against Alice. My gift seems to have evolved. I can k=now control others and block gifts like Alice's and Aro's. I can't block anything like Jane's or Jasper's. And if what Aro suspects is true, I cannot get around a shield like Bella. FUCK! Though I can be happy in the thought that I'm the reason Victoria hasn't been caught.

I bet you are still wondering why I raped Bella if I don't like her? Easy, she belongs to me and I was pissed that she spent time with that dog. Not to mention that it would piss off Carlisle. This was my last chance to separate them for good. Alice had been planning to tell her soon, but now none of them will want to be near her. She is a ruined woman and only her father will be near her as none of them will want to ruin their reputations to be friends with her.

Carlisle came close to telling her the night of her birthday party. He was stitching up her arm and they would have kissed and he would have told her everything if I hadn't interrupted. If he tells her now, it won't matter. She won't want anything to do with being a vampire's mate. She probably won't believe him since I told her constantly that she was my mate.

Bella should be having some pretty interesting dreams about now if she is still alive. They aren't dreams though. They are her memories. Apparently her memories of what really happened at the baseball field and the ballet studio got repressed. I really shouldn't want her to have her memories back, but since I'm tired of having to hide my real nature to my 'family', she might as well have them. James' venom has done something to her, what I don't know. I've smelled it in her blood since the hospital. I think that his venom is triggering the memories...interesting.

How do I know all of this? Easy, I've got connections and they are keeping me updated on the 'family' and Bella. I want to drain her but now is not the time. Not just yet. I have to wait until they least expect it.

Well, time for me to go. I have an appointment with a redhead and another brunette.

Fun time for me. Ta ta.


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight...sorry **

**A/N: Ok so here is Chapter 11..sorry for the delay. It was a long chapter to write and the POV changes quite a few times in this chapter. This chapter is mainly in Carlisle's POV**

**Also, if I haven't mentioned it yet, Esme is not going to be in this story. I didn't want a whole bunch of divorces or cheating or anything of that nature so Carlisle never met her.**

**Oh, and just in case, this story is nothing like Feral Blood. My Carlisle is going to become the alpha male he is supposed to be, but nothing like the Carlisle in that story.**

**Here we go...**

**Chapter 11: A Secret Revealed and a Conversation**

**Carlisle POV**

Well last night was interesting. The dinner was fun, which is just what Bella needed. She needed her friends that are outside of this family. I like Angela and Ben. They are good kids. I had feared that Angela would change after her attack but she never did. Ben was probably the most surprising after her attack. He stayed by her side and never pushed Angela for anything. I know that sometime in the future my family and I will do something for them, especially since they are being so supportive of Bella.

There was only one sad moment during the dinner and I did my best to cheer her up. I have nothing against any of the couples in my home, or Angela and Ben, but seeing all of the love in the room and feeling it through Jasper's gift was a little too much for both of us. I knew that holding her hand during dinner wasn't enough, so I decided to try something else. My opportunity came during dessert when Bella brought out the cheesecake Rose had made.

After setting the piece in front of me, I took Bella's hand, kissed it, and thanked her for bringing the second sweetest thing on the planet with me. She blushed, giggled, and then asked me what I believed was the sweetest thing on the planet. I made a movement like I was blushing and said it was her. She blushed yet again, giggled, and then kissed me on the cheek. The spark that indicated that we are mates made me surge with love. Jasper smiled as he felt my feelings towards Bella.

My intentions are pure with Bella. I am trying to woo her, but slowly and gently, which is what she needs. Her trust has been shattered completely. I think we all noticed when she tensed up at Emmett's hug the morning after the attack. She could tolerate being near certain men, but touching was a hard limit for her. Last night however seemed to be a breakthrough. Bella still tensed up when I grabbed her hand, but not as much as she had in the past few weeks.

Today was my day off, so I was at home working on some paperwork that dealt with our finances. Usually Alice dealt with it, but since I was authorizing a new account, I figured I could deal with the rest of it as well. I know Bella will not be happy with the amount of money I am setting up for her, but it is necessary. I don't want her to worry about money while she is healing. With her living here and not at Charlie's, I feel that I need to care for her for him. Rose takes him home cooked meals every day, sometimes several so that way he won't eat at the diner so much, which helps Bella's peace of mind at not living with her father.

Charlie delivered the restraining order papers yesterday while the 'kids' were at school. It stated that while Bella was living in our home, Edward could not come within 500 yards of this house. The same went for his home should Bella decide to return there. I agreed with the distance because I knew it would give Charlie some peace of mind. Charlie of course had a warrant for his arrest out in Forks. I was able to convince him not to send it out beyond Forks and the reservation, citing "that I had called in a few favors so that Bella could be kept safe. I feared that if the Volturi found out everything before we had a chance to tell them, Bella could be turned before she is ready and the town of Forks could be destroyed.

As I signed the last document and prepared to fax them to Jenks, my office line rang. Assuming it was the hospital, or Jenks himself, I put in on speaker phone saying, "This is Dr. Cullen."

"Hello Father."

I froze. I had never expected him to actually call here. But then again, I didn't really know Edward anymore. I wondered if I ever did. I was frozen as he started to speak.

"Giving me the cold shoulder Carlisle? I'm shocked. I never thought you'd hold a grudge over a pathetic human girl." I began to growl, but I still could not move. I could hear the rest of the family moving about the house. I prayed that Bella wasn't anywhere nearby, but my prayer went unanswered as her heartbeat was heard right outside my office door. I had a feeling of dread as my suspicions for Edward's call rose. This was not the way I wanted her to find out.

**Bella's POV**

History was really kicking my butt. Mr. Henderson had started on the Salem Witch hunts this week, supposedly leading to a month on events during the Victorian Era. He was already starting his whole 'women are the cause of everything' lectures. I had a major paper due in a few days and I wanted actual facts, not Henderson's fucked up views on everything. So with a notebook and pen in hand, I went upstairs to get Carlisle's help.

And that's when I heard his voice. His cruel, inhuman voice.

"I never thought you'd hold a grudge over a pathetic human girl."

I had known by Edward's cruel attack that he didn't love me, but hearing his distaste for me in that one sentence revealed more for me. I was a toy to him. A pathetic human toy. I sat on the steps and tried to calm myself before Jasper felt me. I waited to see what else Edward would say.

**END Bella's POV**

"Oh Carlisle, are you still there?" Edward's voice basically echoed in my office as I was still too frozen to speak. Bella was still outside my office and I realized that I could do nothing to shield her from what was possibly about to happen. Also, something was stirring inside me. The alpha part of me, the animal I restrained for so long, was coming back to life, sensing the threat to his mate.

"Well Carlisle, since you aren't speaking I guess I'll do all the talking. It is strange not being home, but I guess I'm not allowed since the little slut is there." I growled, the alpha inside me starting to become very pissed off at the insult to our mate. "Oh, so you are there Carlisle. Excellent." My growls became louder as my former first companion kept talking. I did not want to lose myself with Bella so near, but I knew that it would happen anyway. Edward knew what buttons to push when it came to me.

"I wonder Carlisle, what would Aro think of you being 'mated' to the little bitch? I mean, come on. You could have any vampire you want as your mate, why choose a pathetic, weak, slut of a human? The fact that she is still human will be of great interest to them. The great Carlisle Cullen, too cowardly to fight for his so called mate and change her. What a joke."

Bella's heart beat increased as she heard Edward's vile words. I didn't need Jasper's gift to know that her heart was breaking even further at his cruelty. I prayed that I could fix whatever damage he did this day. That's another thing I hated about Edward. He tore her down every day that they were together. She was already self conscious about herself around us and Edward made it worse.

"So Carlisle, does she know yet? Does she know that she is your mate and not mine?" I growled and the venom began to pool as Edward began to reveal what I should have revealed nearly two years ago. Edward chuckled cruelly, "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you have not. Interesting. So I guess that means that you haven't told her that you're the reason I attacked her? That you knew how dangerous I was, and still am, to her and you did nothing to stop me?"

I made a noise that was between a growl and a whine as the guilt in me rose to the surface. I WAS the reason Bella had been raped. I had seen what Edward was capable of at the ballet studio when he didn't stop drinking from her. I should have killed him and claimed Bella then, but she still had feelings for him, and all that mattered to me was her happiness, even if was with another man. I had promised myself soon after the ballet studio that I would keep an eye out and if Edward put her life in danger to the point where I would lose her, I would intervene. I wish I had done so sooner.

"Shame on you Carlisle. Then again, the little whore is probably distasteful to you now. I mean, what man would want a woman who gave herself to a disgusting dog? She's a slut and she should be drained for whoring herself out!"

I snapped. My chair went through the window and I roared at the phone. My mate's life had been threatened and insulted too many times. "Oh there you are Carlisle, I was beginning to wonder. I'm not quite done with you yet. I hope you can protect her Carlisle, because I'm coming for her. I'm going to destroy her in front of you and then drain her. You destroyed my life Carlisle, so I'm going to destroy yours, starting with her." Another cruel laugh filled the room before the line went dead.

I didn't hear anything after that. The only thing I cared about was protecting my mate from the psychotic first companion I once trusted. I could barely hear the rest of my family trying to calm me. I briefly heard Jasper talking to Bella and I growled when I sensed that he was too close to her. I started pacing to try and keep myself calm. It is against our nature to hurt our mates, but I didn't want to take any chances with Bella. I just hoped that she would forgive me for what I had done.

My office door opened and I turned to see a pair of big brown eyes looking at me worriedly, and with a trace of fear.

**Bella POV**

The words coming from Carlisle's office had me frozen. Carlisle was my mate? NO way. I mean, he never expressed any interest in me. Then I started to think. The first time I met him, the day Tyler nearly crushed me with his van, he had stared at me quite a bit. He had done it discreetly, but he had stared nonetheless. I remembered Edward's face that day. He had been angry. At first I had thought he was angry at me, but now I realize that the anger was directed at Carlisle.

The staring had happened again when Edward had brought me to the house for the first time. I had been slightly distracted by Alice's comment, but I had noticed Carlisle staring after me as I went upstairs with Edward. The look he had was one of longing. With what I just heard, all the staring and the looks made sense. He was longing for me.

The attack at the ballet studio said plenty. As did the confrontation at the baseball field. From what I had learned about mates from the others, a vampire's first instinct is to protect their mate. Edward had not done so in either situation. Alice had pulled me behind her, Jasper, and Carlisle. At the ballet studio, Carlisle had been the first one to me, not Edward.

That brought me to my birthday party. Alice had told me to be careful around Edward, since he had not fed in a few days. No one had warned me against Jasper who, according to Edward, had the least control around spilt blood. After Jasper 'attempted' to eat me, which I sincerely doubted, and after I had been shoved into a glass table, Edward didn't even go near me. Carlisle had been the only one to come near me and even Jasper had been closer to me than Edward had that night.I think that Edward pushed his blood lust into Jasper, hoping that he would eat me. But Jasper's eyes were gold, even after he came after me. The only one that had black eyes was Edward! In fact, the only time Edward was close to me after that was when he demanded to take me home. Now I remember, Edward and Carlisle had stared at each other for the longest time before Edward smirked and dragged me out the door.

What if Edward was telling the truth? If Carlisle is my mate, then how difficult was it for him to leave me here last year? Oh god, how worried was he when Alice and I went to the Volturi to save Edward?

The Volturi. I remember Edward telling me about them, and the gifts two of them possessed. Aro's gift was similar to Edward's, except that he could only see memories and past thoughts when he touched someone. It was Marcus' gift that interested me. He had the ability to see connections between people, though he focused on mating bonds mostly and also loyalty connections. I wondered why he didn't say anything. But then again, he had looked pretty depressed, so maybe he didn't care anymore.

Jasper interrupted my thoughts by popping up on the staircase. He saw me and said, "Bella, you need to go in there. Carlisle needs you to calm him down." "What are you talking about? I'm not going in there while he's like that." "Bella, you're the only one that can calm him. His rage right now is due to the mating pull between you and that has been threatened." "What?"

He smiled and sat down beside me. When a loud growl came from the office, Jasper moved down a few steps so we could still talk but he wasn't too close to me. He said, "I'm not gonna tell you everything, that's Carlisle's job. All I'm going to tell you is that Carlisle is acting this way because his mate, you, has been threatened. Edward has threatened your life and Carlisle's instinct is to protect you and right now he needs you to calm him down."

"Jasper, he sounds a little crazy right now. What if...?" "Bella, it is against our instinct to harm our mates. We harm our mates, we harm ourselves. It's okay, just talk to him and he will calm down." I nodded and got up. Before I went into Carlisle's office I turned to Jasper and asked, "Jasper, did your eyes change colors at all at my birthday party last year?" "No, why do you ask?" "Well I was remembering that night and I realized that your eyes never changed color while I was here. Also, Alice warned me against being near Edward too much because he hadn't fed in a couple of days. No one told me not to hang with you. Even when you got dragged out I saw that your eyes were still gold."

Jasper was silent as he thought about it. I had given him something to think about. I knew how much it hurt him when the family would get disappointed when he 'slipped', so if I could prove that he was not a fault for the birthday incident, maybe he wouldn't be so guilty and maybe the family would trust him more. They did trust him a lot more since the attack when I proved that he had control over his cravings, but this would help even more. I smiled and opened Carlisle's office door. What I saw made me think that Jasper was right. Carlisle's office was a mess and so was he. But he was still in control of himself. His eyes were coal black in anger, not thirst. I was afraid, but not of Carlisle. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to calm him, which would prove Edward right and Carlisle and Jasper wrong about me being his mate. As I looked at him, I saw that he had changed somewhat. Whatever he had let loose in his anger had freed him in someway. It was like a part of him that he had kept deep inside him was free and it made him complete. I then realized that Carlisle had become the alpha of the coven, like he was meant to be.

I had read somewhere that vampire covens had an alpha male that ruled over them and made all the important decisions for the coven with his mate. I had felt that Carlisle was powerful, but somewhat restrained. Looking at him now, and the stance he was in, I knew that Carlisle had become the alpha that the coven, and family needed, in order to keep me safe and take care of Edward. I guess Edward's threats against me unleashed the alpha within Carlisle. I took at deep breath and said, "Carlisle, come back. Please."

**End Bella POV**

"Carlisle, come back. Please." Her words broke through the haze. I was still in alpha mode, but her voice was calming us both. That's when I saw that her fear was for another reason. She was afraid that if she wasn't able to help me, then being my mate was not true, which would prove Edward right and Jasper and I wrong. She was hopeful. The blackness began to disappear and soon I was my old self again. The alpha in me was still there, but we were merging into one.

I went to Bella and I said, "Bella, I'm here." Her eyes found mine and she asked, "So, it's true?" I nodded and she asked, "Why didn't you tell me?" I led her to the couch in my office and said, "Sit Bella, please. This will be a long conversation." Alice briefly interrupted, telling me that they were going hunting to give Bella and me some privacy. She also mentioned that she would keep herself somewhat 'blind' until we were done so that she wouldn't hear anything from our talk. I thanked her as she told me that Jasper would hunt nearby so that way if he was needed he was close. I sat next to Bella and prepared to explain everything to her.

"Bella, shortly before we decided to move here, Alice had a vision. I was not present when she had it, but she told me that it had everything to do with my mate. So we moved to Forks where she said that my mate would be. At that time, Edward's true nature was not yet obvious to me. Alice had mentioned that she could no longer see anything about Edward, but thought that he merely did not want her looking for his future any longer. Had I known what he was capable of, I would have dealt with him sooner."

"Alice said that she saw me coming." "Yes, you were in the vision she had of my mate. Shortly after you arrived, Alice came to me in a panic. She said that my future with you was uncertain due to a interference she couldn't see. I made a few plans to try and meet you before that interference had the chance to arise. Then the accident at school happened and I got to meet you." "But since I met Edward first..." "Yes, Edward turned out to be the interference keeping us apart. He had begun to dazzle you. Even I could see it. In fact, we had an argument that day."

"I saw that. I assumed you were arguing about me." "Yes, but not in the way you think. Rose had seen Alice's vision and was angry with Edward for interfering. She demanded that he stop and he swore that he would, only being a friend to you. We never assumed that he would lie, and Jasper wasn't there to tell us different." "Rose hated me back then." "No my dear, she hated the fact that you were being used. Did you ever notice that when you were alone that she would try and talk to you?" Bella shook her head no. "Well, she wanted to tell you, but Edward would interfere and take you away before she could."

"Why didn't you tell me?" "Believe me Bella, I wanted to. Every time I planned to, Edward prevented me. Also, you seemed to be really happy with him. As your mate, your happiness is the most important thing to me." Bella nodded and then asked, " So why didn't you tell me after my attack?" "Bella I was planning on telling you. I wanted to give you a chance to heal from Edward's attack. I didn't want to tell you and stress you out about it. I didn't want to burden you to the point where you would hate me or the rest of the family. Right now, I'm just hoping that you'll forgive me for not telling you the truth about us and for your attack."

**Bella POV**

"...just hoping that you'll forgive me for not telling you the truth about us and for your attack."

I was confused. He was apologizing for Edward raping me? Unless he knew that Edward was going to rape me, he has no reason to apologize. I got up and asked, "Carlisle, why are you apologizing for the attack? You didn't do anything wrong." "That's why I must apologize. If I had dealt with Edward sooner, he would not have raped you. I hope you will forgive me for putting you in danger."

My anger, which had been small to begin with, suddenly boiled over. I almost slapped him, but thought better of it. I turned to Carlisle and saw that he had his head in his hands. I said, "Carlisle Cullen you look at me right now!" His head came up in shock at me yelling at him. I got closer and said, "You listen to me and you listen good. You are not to blame for any of this. Edward raped and beat the shit out of me because he wanted to. He got some sick pleasure out of it. Now I can understand that you feel guilty because you saw signs that he wasn't okay and you didn't confront him. But you had nothing to do with the rape. Edward made the decision and while he says he did it to hurt the both of us, I can only believe that he did it because he was scared."

"What do you mean Bella?" "Well, our 'relationship' had been fraying since Italy. He was becoming more controlling every day. Fuck, Carlisle I can Iprobably count on one hand how much time I spent with my dad because Edward wanted me to do other things. That, the constant rejection, and the constant marriage proposals after I tell him that I don't want to marry was pissing me off. I was going to break things off and I think he knew that." I went over to Carlisle and said, "I need to know that you don't blame yourself. Please Carlisle?"

**End Bella POV**

I nodded to Bella and said, "I will do my best Bella. I still feel guilty, but only for not telling you the truth." She nodded and then asked me to tell her about being mates. I nodded, knowing that Edward's past actions and his most recent actions had probably confused and frightened her about being a vampire's mate.

"Well first of all, you should know that I will never hurt you. It is against a vampire's nature to hurt their mate. Basically, I hurt myself if I hurt you. I will protect you with my life." Bella nodded and then asked, " Will you be controlling?" "In some ways yes. But I will never tell you who you can spend time with or what to wear. All I ask is that you let me know where you are going and when you believe you will return." She nodded again and asked, "Are you going to turn me?" "Yes, but not just yet."

She looked confused so I said, "I promise that I will turn you. That is not up for debate. What I would like is for you to at least attempt one year of college. If you will at least try that for me, I will be happy and I will turn you the moment you tell me, even if you do not complete that year." "I will think about it. I wouldn't mind going, I just don't know what for yet?" I nodded and asked, "Do you have any questions?" She nodded but then hesitated. It took her a few minutes to gather her courage before she asked, "What about sex?" She blushed, but not as deeply as she would have before the rape.

I knelt down in front of her and said, " Bella, nothing would give me more pleasure than to worship your body and show you how much I love you. But I know that it is too soon for that. You are still healing, both physically and emotionally. I will wait for you. I'm a very patient man Bella. To be honest, making love to you is the final step, apart from turning you, that will make you my mate completely." I made her look me in the eyes and I said, " Let me make one thing clear. You will have to tell me when you are ready. I will not push for anything you are not ready for. You set the pace in this relationship. You have to be sure you are ready Bella. I don't want to hurt you. Do you understand?"

Bella nodded and said, " I understand. Do you mind if I go to Jake's? I need to process all of this and I want to see Charlie before he goes fishing with Billy." I nodded and said, "Have fun and text me when you get there." She nodded and left the house. About twenty minutes later, my phone buzzed. I looked and smiled at Bella's message.

*I'm here. Jake, Billy, and Charlie say hi. Be home probably in an hour. You might want to clean up your office...lol XO Bella*

**Bella POV**

As I drove to the reservation, I thought about what I had been told. Carlisle's behavior before our talk was scary, but now that I know more about vampires and mates, I know that his reaction wa normal. Edward had threatened me. I pulled into the reservation and waved at a couple of the Pack boys that were running around. I had come here to think in peace. Alice had probably seen our conversation and I didn't want her gift to influence what I wanted, whether it was intentional or by mistake.

Since it was lunch time, I drove to Emily's, knowing that all the boys, Leah, and the imprints would be there eating. I parked in front of the house and sure enough, the Pack came running out to greet me. Jake was out first and made sure that none of the other guys crowded me. I was grateful. I wasn't tensing up as much, but I was still nervous around men.

Following the boy out of the house were the imprints. Emily, Sam's wife and imprint, smiled at me and waved. Leah, who was also a member of the Pack, was surprisingly imprinted to Paul. I remember the call I got from Jake when it happened. A double imprint had never happened before, so Leah and Paul's relationship was special. The last woman out the door was my best friend's imprint. Makenna Call was Jake's imprint and Embry's sister. She had been visiting when she and Jake met.

I was happy for Jake and Makenna. I was also grateful. Before he imprinted on Makenna, Jake had been making declarations of 'love' to me. Now he was happy and completely in love with Makenna.

I smiled and greeted them. I turned to Makenna and asked, "Do you mind if I borrow Jake for a bit? I need to talk to him about something." She said okay and they all went back inside to eat. I caught Sam and said, "You might get a call from Carlisle soon. Edward called and pissed him off enough." He nodded and Jake and I started to walk. I texted Carlisle after we ran into Charlie and Billy. Charlie and I talked for a few minutes before he and Billy headed out to the lake.

Jake and I had been walking for a while before he asked, " So, what did you want to talk to me about?" I told him. I told him everything. Edward's phone call, the truth about Carlisle, what it meant for my future, and even my fears. "What do I do Jake? I mean, in one hand I've got a vampire who is willing to die for me, who has loved me since before I even came here, who is willing to wait for me to return his feelings. In the other hand, I've got a vampire ex-boyfriend who turns out to never have loved me, who hates my guts, who never wanted me and yet made me fall in love with him to hurt the one man who trusted him. What do I do with all that?"

We were on the beach now and Jake stopped walking. He asked, "Why do you doubt Dr. Cullen?" I stopped and looked at him, "I don't doubt Carlisle. I doubt myself. Carlisle is a great man and very good looking. I'm just wondering if I'm good enough to be his mate. I mean, look at me. I'm not that good looking. I'm pathetic, human, and damaged. Maybe Edward was right."

Jake came up to me and said, "DON'T you ever say that again. Bella, you are the strongest woman I know. You fought to survive what he did to you and won. I know nothing about vampire mating, but if what you said is true, the obviously Carlisle picked the right woman to spend eternity with. Just go with your heart Bella. Don't rush and just go with the flow."

I nodded and saw that Jake was right. I couldn't believe anything Edward said. I had to trust in Carlisle and let him love me. I didn't know if I loved him just yet, but I felt something was there. I decided to take Jake's advice and just live my life. When I am ready, truly ready for Carlisle, I will let him love me for all eternity.

I just hope that it happens and that I don't get hurt.

Carlisle, I hope you are right. Because I believe that I'm falling in love with you.


	13. Chapter 12

**CH. 12: The Volturi and Alice Comes Clean**

Today was the day. Today, Carlisle was going to call Aro and tell him everything: my rape, Edward's true self and his real intentions with my life. Carlisle also wanted to get their opinion on the possibility of me slowly changing. Last, he wanted to get permission to tell Angela, Ben and Charlie about vampires so they could be better protected from any of Edward's threats when he eventually returned to finish what he started.

It was a rare sunny day, so no one could leave the house. Charlie had pulled me out of school for the day after I called and told him about another sleepless night due to horrible nightmares. He understood and called the school before he left the station. Since it was a lazy day, everyone was wearing comfortable clothing. I was wearing black stretchy capris, a dark purple tank top and a black hooded sweatshirt. All of us were waiting for Carlisle to finish his current call with Jenks. What it was about, we could only guess.

While we were waiting, I for some strange reason, was walking on a wall partition like it was a balance beam. Emmett asked, "Trying to not be so much of a klutz Bella?" Shrugging as I turned to walk it again I said, "Maybe. Not that I really need to." Rose asked, "What do you mean Bella?" "Well I haven't been tripping as much lately. Alice, do you remember the other day when you had me try on those black heels?"

She nodded and said, "Yes, I remember. You didn't trip or fall once while wearing them." Before any of us could talk about my new sense of balance anymore, Carlisle came out of his office and said, " Sorry that took so long. I had to take care of a few things with Jenks. I also had to set up for our discussion with Aro and the brothers. Aro returned my phone call earlier this morning and requested that our discussion take place over video conference as he would like to hear from all of us."

Jasper asked, "Will it just be Aro and when did he get so technologically advanced?" We all laughed and then Carlisle said, "Apparently just recently. He finally realized that being more modern helps him conduct Volturi business easier. And no Jasper, it will not just be Aro. Marcus and Caius will also be present." Turning to Emmett he said, "Set up everything Emmett so we can get started."

As Emmett hooked up the TV for the conference, I took the time to study Carlisle. He had changed alot since becoming the Alpha of the coven. He wasn't so shy anymore, and was slowly becoming the true leader that this family and coven needed. One of the biggest changes was how he dressed. I smiled at the memory of yesterday when Carlisle had cleaned out his closet and replaced all of his clothing with new stuff. He no longer looked like he was in his early thirties. Now, he looked like the eternal twenty-three year old he was.

It didn't take Emmett long to hook everything up and soon we were waiting to connect with the Volturi. I was a little nervous, since my life was on the line and Caius was eager to have me dead. Carlisle sat next me to and gently took my hand in his. He had not strayed from his promise at all since he confessed that we were mates. We were going slow, but progressing well. I didn't tense up as much when he touched me and I was even allowing Jasper, Emmett and my dad hug me more often. I was still uneasy around Jake and the Pack, but I was working on it. School was a different story outside of Angela and Ben and one I really didn't care about fixing.

A few minutes after we were settled, a noise came from the TV, signaling that a connection had been made. It was time. Emmett hit a few keys on his laptop and suddenly the faces of Aro, Caius and Marcus Volturi appeared on the huge TV screen. I took a few deep breaths as Carlisle said, "Hello Aro, Caius and Marcus, it is good to see you all."

Aro smiled and said, "Hello Carlisle and family, it is also good to see you. Ah, Isabella, you are also here wonderful! I don't seem to see young Edward with you my dear, is he out hunting?" The growls from my family and mate seemed to make the TV vibrate. Clearing my throat I said, "Edward is no longer living here..." I looked to Carlisle to continue.

He nodded and said, "Bella is correct. Edward is no longer living here, nor is he a member of this family." Caius said, "Aro, enough of this foolishness. Just end the girl and be done with it." I froze and my breathing became erratic. Carlisle's response to Caius' threat was the complete opposite. His eyes went from topaz to solid black in less than five seconds. He growled and nearly roared, "You will not touch her! She is MY mate and I hold her fate in my hands!"

Shock registered on Aro and Caius' faces, but not on Marcus'. He actually smiled and said, "Finally." When the other two turned towards him he said, "Their lines are pure gold brothers. The Masen boy tricked us all." When Aro and Caius turned back to us, Caius asked, "Why did you ask for this meeting Carlisle? Surely you don't need our permission to turn the girl?"

Carlisle, who had calmed down enough to continue the conference said, "No, I know that she is to be turned, that is not the issue. What I called this meeting for is for several reasons. To really answer your question Caius, I would like to delay her change a little longer." Caius rolled his eyes and asked, "Why should we allow this? Surely she has had enough time to say her pathetic goodbyes?"

Before Carlisle could say anything, I jumped in and said, "He's asking for this because I am still healing, both physically and emotionally from an attack." Aro, who actually looked like he cared asked, "What kind of attack young Isabella?" Taking a deep breath I said, "Almost two months ago, Edward Masen brutally raped and beat me nearly to death. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that the bruises finally faded. Carlisle is asking this for me. As my mate, he wants me to be safe, happy and whole and right now, I'm not...whole. I still flinch when certain people get too close to me. I still have nightmares of the rape. I am Carlisle's mate, but I'm not fully ready to become a vampire and a mate."

THe revelation of my rape had provoked the most interesting reactions from the Volturi. All three looked sickened and pissed off, Caius more pissed off than anything else. He looked absolutely furious to be honest. Looking me straight in the eyes Caius said, "I beg your forgiveness for my earlier behavior. I should not have been so cruel." Looking at his brothers, who nodded as if knowing what he was about to say, he said, "Carlisle, turn her when she is ready. Take as long as you need."

Carlisle nodded and said, "That is not Edward's only crime. Edward has known all along that Bella is my mate and has done everything in his power to keep us apart." The looks of kindness and concern swiftly left their faces and were soon replaced by anger. Extreme anger. Aro said, "We will be coming there to help you with this situation. Now what else is there to discuss?"

I spoke saying, "I know I have no right to ask this, but with Edward's threats against me, I ask permission to tell my father and two of my closest friends about vampires in order to protect them. Edward will use them against me if he returns. Though I have no doubt that he wil return to...to kill me."

The Volturi were once again extremely pissed. Edward Masen had not only kept another vampire's mate for himself, he was also attempting to murder said mate and would use those closest to her in order to get what he wanted. He had also raped and beaten her in order to try and put a further wedge in between her and her real mate. The three nodded before Aro said, "We will give our decision at the end of this meeting. Now Carlisle, you mentioned something rather odd in your earlier message. Could you explain further?"

Carlisle nodded and told Aro of my dreams that seemed to be memories coming to the surface. He had to tell them about the nomads at the baseball field and the ballet studio to explain his theory. I showed them the scar on my wrist and the new ones on my collarbone. Caius said, "i shall research this myself as I too have been marked by a different species and changed slightly."

After that was talked over, the brothers talked quietly over to the side for a few minutes before returning to the camera. Aro said, "We have discussed it and your request is granted. Your father and two friends can be told and they can be told without fear of death or being forced to become one of us. The opportunity will be offered, but there will be no danger should they refuse."

I smiled and said, "Thank you Aro. Thank you very much. When do you plan on arriving and will you be hunting nearby?" "We will arrive in one month's time and we will hunt out of state so as not to draw attention." He turned to Carlisle and asked, "Is that all Carlisle?" At his nod Aro said, " Very well, we will see you all in one month. Until then." The screen went black as the call was disconnected.

Sighing in relief, Carlisle turned to me and asked, "Are you alright my heart?" That was one thing I was beginning to love about Carlisle. He gave me the most endearing nicknames that in no way reminded me of Edward. I smiled, nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm fine. I think I'm going to take a nap. I didn't get much sleep." He nodded and kissed my forehead. He then said, "We're going to go hunt, so we'll be gone for a little while. Call if you need anything."

I nodded and settled in on the couch as soon as they left. I knew that I should probably eat something, but after that phone call, I wasn't that hungry. I'd eat after my nap. I wrapped up in a blanket and soon I was fast asleep. Again, the ballet studio dream entered my mind. Again I watched as Edward attempted to kill me and James tried his best to keep me safe and alive.

When James bit my wrist this time, something changed. This time, I could see the venom entering my veins. I could see it flowing into my body at an alarming rate. He was trying to turn me and quickly. Again, Edward ripped him from me and that's when I noticed another change.

In previous dreams, I saw him ripped apart but still heard his voice before I blacked out. This time, I saw Alice distract Emmett and Jasper and when they turned away, she pushed James to the doors where he suddenly went invisible. So that was his gift besides being a very good tracker. I saw him flicker in and out as he watched Edward torture me. I could see the barely contained rage and I knew that he wanted to come and help, but he couldn't. Not without risking either of our lives even more.

The burning in my heart began and I tried to fight off the waking blackout. The pain became too much and I woke with a searing pain in my chest and the need to puke. Luckily the bathroom was close enough and I spent the next few minutes puking up last night's dinner and then dry heaving for another few minutes.

I didn't pass out, but I did space out for a few minutes. My hair being pulled to the side and a warm cloth being put on my neck alerted me to the fact that someone was home. I lifted my head to find Carlisle kneeling beside me with a concerned look on his face. I used the cloth to wipe my mouth and then slowly stood. As I went to the sink to brush my teeth he asked, "Are you alright dearest?" My mouth was full of toothpaste and brush, so I merely nodded. Spitting the stuff out and after rinsing I said, "Yeah, just another nightmare about the ballet studio. This one was weird though."

Leading me back to the couch he asked, "How so?" " Well for one thing, when he bit me in this one, I could literally see the venom he was pushing into my veins. It was glowing, like your skin when you go into the sun. There was something else too. If what I am dreaming is the truth, then James is alive." Turning to Alice I asked, "James is alive, isn't he Alice?"

Grinning, she said, "Yes he is." Before she could say anything more, the boys stood and started growling as the scent of burnt wood permeated the house. I went to her and said, "That's James' scent, isn't it Alice?" She nodded and said, "I had a vision of James shortly after Bella was brought into our lives. I saw that James and Victoria would become protective of Bella, but not why. Laurent was useless, but James would protect her and even give his life for hers. What I didn't plan on was Edward being an ass and taking you out of state to 'protect' you."

Jasper, who had rejoined us along with Emmett asked, "Why darlin'? Why he would want to protect Bella so much?" "Well, from what I saw of his early years as an immortal, this life so far has been one of guilt. Apparently when he went missing, a search party was sent after him. He was turning when his younger sister found him. She died the same day he woke up."

I gasped and said, "That's what he meant." Carlisle kneeled in front of me and asked, "What is it Isabella?" Taking a moment to remember, I said, "In one of the dreams he said 'I failed to protect you just as I failed to protect her. I can never make it right.' He wants to protect me because I remind him of the sister he lost."

Emmett asked, "But how did he escape the fire? I swore Jasper and I burnt him to a crisp. Pixie, didn't you rip his head off?" Alice moved to the window and said, "No, I didn't. When you got distracted by Bella's screams, I helped him out. He's not just a tracker. He can become invisible. The only way you can detect him is by his scent."

Nodding, I went to the same window and looked out. The smell of burnt wood was still lingering in the house and seemed to be drifting towards the forest outside. I walked away from the window and to the sliding deck doors. I took a deep breath, opened them and stepped outside. Going down the steps, I paused right before the tree line and said, " James, you can come out now, it's safe. No one will harm you, you have my word."

A few minutes passed before James stepped out from behind the trees. He looked so different from the last time I saw him. He didn't look like a nomad anymore. His hair was clean, trimmed and pulled back in a ponytail. He was wearing a clean pair of dark blue jeans, a black dress shirt with a white t-shirt underneath and a pair of black boots. The last thing I checked out after noticing his boots were his eyes. There were the deepest gold with no hint of red anymore in their depths.

I smiled and said, "Hello James." He smiled back and said, "Hello Bella." The rest of the family came out and joined us. Carlisle, who I suspected was being slightly territorial without being an ass about it, wrapped his arms around my shoulders and said, "Welcome to our home James. Please come in." I didn't mind Carlisle's territorial behavior just then. James was a stranger to him and he was protecting his mate. He was subtle about it and was not being controlling at all.

James followed us inside and the family talked while I made myself some lunch and ate. James wanted to stay with us and this was agreeable to everyone in the family. The only problem was how to present him to the rest of the population. He was too old to pass for an adopted son, nor could he pass as someone related to Carlisle since they looked nothing alike.

When I had finished eating, they still hadn't figured it out. I grabbed a bottle of water and studied them all as I drank from it. He couldn't be related to Emmett or Alice due to their dark hair. Rose was out too since she and Jasper had stopped playing twins a few months ago. Her hair was too close in color to Carlisle's anyway. James did however resemble Jasper enough by hair color and height for them to be brothers, or at least half brothers. Clearing my throat, which got their attention, I said, "Make him Jasper's older half-brother. James, you didn't know anything about Jasper until your father died a few months ago. You've been searching this whole time which would also explain why you haven't been in Jasper's life and why they couldn't find you."

James and Jasper looked at each other and Jasper asked, "Brothers?" James smiled, nodded and shook his hand. With that settled, the new brothers went to Jasper's office to get Jenks started on all the paperwork they would need to bring James into the family and to make the story we just came up with more believable. Emmett asked, "What about Victoria? She's still out there and wants to hurt Bella." Yeah, what were we going to do about her? With James alive, she no longer had a reason to kill me. But how to let her know without tipping Edward off about him?

Carlisle said, "All we can really do is wait. James will need to stick close by if she comes to the house. If she sees him, maybe she will no longer feel the need to try and kill Bella." We all nodded and went about our day. Carlisle went to call Sam to schedule a meeting to add James to the treaty and to explain everything else that had happened. I just got on my laptop and played a few games as I watched Alice kick Emmett's butt on the TV playing Call of Duty.

**~Carlisle POV~**

As the days passed, I could see the changes James brought out in the family. He was a good man and fit in well with them. He did well when Charlie came to visit, telling the story Bella came up with well enough and Charlie believed it easily. He truly belonged with our family. We could only hope that when Victoria found him alive, she would forget her hatred and anger and join James and our family.

He was getting close to everyone, especially Bella. At first, I didn't mind, especially with all he had tried to do for her. We were beginning to believe that Bella had another gift besides her shield. Anyway, as the days passed, the ease I felt at their closeness began to fade. As I watched them laugh together as they played a videogame with Emmett, I began to get angry and jealous. Those feelings were not towards Bella and they never would be. They were towards James. He was getting through to her easier than anyone else in the house, including me. I was slightly hurt at the closeness between them and began to fear that Bella would leave me.

Apparently I didn't hide my feelings or fears well enough. About two weeks after James joined our family, I was ambushed in my office by Jasper, Alice and James late one night. Bella had been asleep for the past hour, having spent the day with me on a picnic and going to a small little fair in Seattle.

Alice pushed me back into my chair and said, "So we apparently need to talk." "You saw something?" "I saw you being an ass and pushing Bella away because of this bullshit you're feeling." I was shocked at hearing Alice curse, but I hid it and asked, "What do you expect Alice? She's more at ease with him than she has ever been with me."

Alice rolled her eyes and said, "That's probably because they are friends and not mates. He doesn't want or expect anything from her, unlike you. She's still trying to come to terms with the fact that she is your mates and not my bastard of an ex-brother's. He hurt her far more than we can ever fully understand. To be honest, so did you by not coming clean and claiming her a long time ago." As I saw the truth in what she was telling me, James came forward and said, " I am no threat to you Carlisle. Bella is a sister to me and nothing more." Jasper cut in saying, "He's telling the truth Carlisle. He merely wants to be a brother to Bella, that's all. And Alice is right you know."

Alice said, "Right now, your future with Bella is very hazy. Not only because of her own doubts. but because of your's as well. Don't fuck this up Carlisle." With that, she and Jasper left my office. I turned to James and said, "I do apologize for my behavior. I had no right or reason to accuse you or even think that you would do anything to threaten my bond with Bella."

He waved me off saying, " I can understand. Your mate is under threat and has already been brutally attacked. The bond between you is fragile right now. Alice told me that the Volturi are coming. Have you considered speaking with Marcus along with Bella? He might be able to help the both of you, especially Bella." At the shocked look on my face he said, " I wasn't always a nomad. I used to be a member of Marcus' guard. His gift might help you both."

I nodded and said, "You have a point. I'll discuss it with Bella tomorrow." He nodded and headed to the door. As he opened it he said, "Alice did mention to me that you might want to alert the wolves about the Volturi's visit and also about us telling Chief Swan the truth. She thinks they might want in on story time."

I said, "I already arranged a meeting with Sam about getting you added to the treaty. I wanted to wait to tell them about everything else and the Volturi visiting just to make sure that they were. Sam will want to see that you are not a threat with their own eyes just to warn you." He nodded and left. It was a peaceful night for all of us, even Bella. She wasn't having as many nightmares lately and this was one of the good nights. I checked on her briefly before returning to my office to wait until it was a good time to call Sam about the early morning meeting.

**~End Carlisle POV~**

I woke up early, feeling very refreshed. Since James has been here, my nightmares have lessened. He was a good friend and easy to talk to. My thoughts were interrupted by Alice and Rose coming in and heading straight for my closet. Alice had changed alot since the rape. She no longer controlled what we in the house wore. She offered suggestions but that was it. She pulled out my favorite black ripped jeans, a dark green tank top and a black long sleeved thermal. Handing me the clothes she said, "We're meeting Sam and the Pack at the treaty line. James needs to be added and something else will happen today, so dress warm."

I didn't even get to ask anything as she and Rose left after Rose handed me my dark green Converse. Shaking my head, I got out of bed and got dressed. After putting my hair in a loose braid, I grabbed my new black pea coat and went downstairs. Carlisle was dressed similarly to me, the dark green of his turtleneck a pleasing change from his usual blue.

He handed me a bottle of juice and a couple of pieces of cinnamon toast wrapped in a napkin saying, "Sorry for the quick breakfast sweet girl, but we have an early meeting with Sam, the Pack and a few of the Elders." "I'm okay, let's go." We all went out to the cars and headed to the reservation. James rode with Carlisle and me, since it was Carlisle who had to vouch for him as leader of the family.

As Carlisle drove I asked, "So what is going to be discussed?" He smiled and said, "Well, I need to inform them of the fact that you and I are mates. Also, I need to inform them of the Volturi's impending visit now that they have sent their flight information confirming it. The last thing is, we need to tell them that we are telling Angela, Ben and your father about vampires. It might convince them to tell Charlie about their own secret."

"That might actually work, especially if they tell Charlie their legends first. That's how I figured out what you and the others were." He laughed and said "Clever girl." I blushed slightly at his praise and we made small talk until we reached the border between the reservation and the rest of Forks. The road was private and secluded which made me think it was that way for a reason.

When we reached the border, Carlisle got out first and then let me out. James followed, walking with Jasper and Emmett. As I walked with Carlisle and the girls, I took a glance at the other side of the border. Sam, Jake and the rest of the Pack were there, as were some of the Elders. I recognized Billy and Sue, but the other man I didn't.

Sam stepped forward and said, "First things first, let us see the Cold One you wish to add to the treaty." James stepped forward and said, "I'm the one he wishes to add. Ask what you wish." Sam looked shocked, yet he seemed to respect James' bluntness. Sam already knew the truth about James, he just needed to do this for the Elders.

After a few questions Sam said, " He will be added to the treaty. Now what is the other reason for this meeting with us and the Elders?" Carlisle took my hand in his and said, "There are actually a few. First, you should know that Bella and I are true mates." Sam asked, "How is that possible? We were told that she was the Mind Reader's mate."

Carlisle explained everything to the Pack, including how James came into our lives and the real reason why Edward had raped me. To say the wolves and the Elders were pissed would be an understatement. All of the wolves were shaking, barely in control. Sue, Billy and the other Elder were clenching their fists.

Once he was calm enough Sam said, "You mentioned in your call about having visitors. Who are they?" "The Volturi, who are the rulers of our world. They are human drinkers, but will hunt outside of the state during their visit. You have my word." The Elders and Sam discussed it for a few minutes before Sam said, "These visitors are welcome, but if they harm or kill anyone in the state, you will be the ones we come after."

Sam the asked, "Is there anything else?" This was my thing so I said, "THe Volturi gave us permission to tell my dad and two of my friends about vampires. I'm telling them to protect them from any of Edward's threats when he returns." Sam asked, "How does this concern us?" "I think Charlie should know everything, for his safety."

Sue said, "I agree with Bella. Charlie has come so close to finding out already. If he's going to find out about the Pack, he should from being told, not from being scared half to death by one of the boys shifting in front of him by accident." Billy and the other Elder nodded in agreement and soon the Pack was too.

Sam, as Alpha, made the final call. He said, "We will hold a bonfire either before or after your 'friends' arrive. Bella, invite your two friends and Charlie. It will be held on First Beach and that night, all boundaries are forgotten." It seemed he had gotten permission from all the Elders for something because he then said, "The treaty will be rewritten with all of us present. If we are to work together, some things need to change."

We all agreed and the meeting was over. The Cullens and I went back to the house where I spent some time with Carlisle, just talking and reading. I hoped that when Charlie and my friends were told, everything would be okay.


	14. Chapter 13

**AN: YAY! Another update! This one is a long time coming and I do apologize. Okay, this is a chapter you've all been waiting for: The Bonfire! Here both the Cullen's and the Pack tell their secrets to Charlie, Angela and Ben in order to keep them safe. We also see some of Bella's inner musings and thoughts about the good doctor. Y'all want to see what happens? Then keep reading...lol**

**And here we go...**

**Chapter 13: Bonfire, Secrets, and Rejection**

It had been nearly 3 weeks since the Cullens, James and I met with the Elders and Sam to discuss the telling of all our secrets. The Cullens and I had discussed it and decided to have the bonfire before the Volturi were to arrive so that way Angela, Ben and my dad could make a decision about their mortality before they arrived. Even though Aro told us that they wouldn't be forced to become vampires, I still wanted them to have a choice, even a small one.

Today I was going to ask Ben and Angela to the bonfire, Charlie having already been invited by Billy and Jacob. I hadn't asked them before now because I've had other shit on my mind. Most of it concerning Carlisle. Most of my thoughts lately concerning our lack of a physical relationship. These thoughts were caused by me catching him without a shirt on by accident one day when he came home from hunting shortly before the rest of us came home from school. I wanted to show him the report he had helped me on concerning the Salem witch trials and I had just walked into his office, not bothering to knock. Apparently he likes to change clothes in his office and I walked right in just as he was pulling on a clean shirt.

It seems the good doctor lost all his shyness after becoming the alpha leader. He turned just as I walked in, shirt open and smirked at my open staring. He probably would have started laughing if I had started drooling. It took him saying my name quite a few times before I snapped out of it and after that, I blushed and went back downstairs. Thanks to that mouth watering sight, my nightmares have thankfully taken a backseat to OTHER dreams that involve a shirtless Carlisle and some messed up roleplaying shit. I cannot tell you how many times I've blushed when looking at Carlisle, which apparently has become too much for Jasper because every time it happens, he laughs and then leaves the room. Stupid empath.

Anyway, seeing Carlisle half naked and the dreams have brought me to a breaking point, kind of. I know that I am still not ready for a full physical relationship, not even close. I do know that I want more than chaste half assed kisses. I love that Carlisle is not pushy when it comes to that, but I need more man than gentleman. Just a taste and a little move forward is all I ask, is that too much? I mean, I had all the chaste stuff with Edward and even though I now know that it was a all an act to keep Carlisle and I apart, I'm done initiating, if that makes any sense. Carlisle needs to be the one to kiss me hard for once because I've tried to move us forward, but he doesn't really let it happen.

Not that he's rejecting me. No, he's not doing that. He's more along the lines of being too much a gentleman and not so much just a man. Maybe I need to talk to Rose and Alice about this. They might be able to understand my ramblings better than I can. Girl talk after school it seems.

Walking through school, I search for Angela and Ben so that I can ask them to the bonfire tonight. I spot them over by the science lab doors and walk over. Angela spots me and waves. I ask, "Hey, do you guys want to come to a bonfire at the reservation tonight? Cool stories, really good food and watch some idiots cliff dive?" Angela laughed and said, "I'm game. Ben?" He nodded and I said, "Let me ask Rose and the others and maybe you guys could ride over with us." They nodded and I quickly texted the others. They all agreed and I made sure that Angela and Ben would meet me at Emmett's Jeep after school. Angela called her mom and told her that she would be leaving her car in the school parking lot and told her that she would be safe, blah blah blah.

Since it was sunny today, I was at school by myself, but no one bothered me just in case it got back to my siblings. Well, all except Mike of course. He and Jessica had a huge fight about a week ago and she ended their relationship. I guess what I told her finally got through to her. Mike was being a pest, but not to the point that I or my siblings could do anything about it. All the school could do was give him lunch or regular detention every day.

The day passed rather quickly, despite the fact that Mr. Henderson, the sexist asshole of a history teacher, tried to make his class as boring and unethical as possible. Seriously, does he really think we're going to believe that the Salem witch trials were all the women's fault and that all women are witches and are going to go to Hell? I don't know how the man became a teacher, but he needs to get a new career because he sucks at this one. Finally, his class ended and Angela and Ben followed me to Emmett's Jeep which I borrowed after promising not to hurt it too badly.

I hooked up my cell to the handless operation thing Emmett installed and called the house. Alice picked up and I said, "I'm on my way home with Angela and Ben. They're going to ride with us to the bonfire." "Okay Bella. By the way, that girl talk you want to have? We'll do it after the bonfire." I was curious but didn't get a chance to ask because she hung up. Angela asked, "What was that about?" I blushed a little and said, "Well I was going to talk to them about this crush I have on someone, but if Alice says to wait, we wait. Believe me, you don't want to argue or go against the Pixie." She and Ben laughed and then we talked about random things for the rest of the drive there.

Angela did ask me how I liked Henderson's class today and I growled. I said, "The man is a complete idiot. Emmett would have better luck teaching us and he's a goofball. Seriously, how do people pass that class?" Ben said, "Well my brother had him a few years ago and he told me that a lot of kids go to the principal towards the end of the year and just test out because they really have no way of passing the district final that is given. The principal probably has forms with all of our names on them already for when they go up there."

I sighed and said, "Yeah, well I'm already dreading when we hit the Victorian era in class." Angela asked, "Why?" "Because the views on women are exactly how Henderson views women, so he's going to be even more of an ass for the next two months." We all groaned and then Ben changed the subject by asking, "So how is it that we're all going to the reservation? I thought the Cullens were banned or something?" I laughed and said, "It's just an old legend Ben, but some of the tribe keep to the legends very closely. But since Billy Black has taken over on the council, things have become less strict. I think they're going to talk about it tonight." Right as I said that, we pulled into the driveway of the house.

Alice came out just as I was getting out of the Jeep and said, "You need to talk to Carlisle really quick. He wants your opinion on something." COnfused, I merely nodded and headed inside, making sure that Ben and Angela were okay before heading up to his office. I knocked on the door and walked in after hearing Carlisle say, "Enter." He smiled when he saw me and we briefly hugged and kissed. He asked, "How was school?" I rolled my eyes and said, "You might want to prepare for me getting suspended because the next two months are going to be brutal." At his questioning glance I said, "Henderson is going to start on the Victorian Era in a couple of weeks and with his point of view on women, we're all about miserable." Carlisle nodded and said, "Well, I'll keep that in mind if you and the others suddenly call me at the hospital because you've been suspended." I smiled and asked, "So what did you need to talk to me about?"

He sat beside me on the couch and said, "I was wondering how you would feel about me telling Charlie about the two of us being mates? After we've revealed the fact that we are vampires of course." I thought about it and asked, "Can I ask why you want to tell him? I think it's a good idea, but I want to know your reasons." He nodded and said, "Well I want him to know about our bond because I don't want to hide our relationship Isabella. I don't want to have to hide how deeply I care for you and if your father knows, then I can feel better about kissing you or hugging you while in town or something like that."

I nodded, seeing his point of view. I said, "Okay, we'll tell Charlie about us. I just hope he doesn't try to shoot you." Carlisle laughed and we talked for a little bit more about what was going to happen at the bonfire. We had decided early on to tell Angela and Ben first to see what their reaction would be. Charlie would be last because Sue had told me that he was already close to figuring it out and maybe if he heard the old stories again, he could see the truth and just get the details unknown from the Cullens and the Pack.

After a bit I said, "I'm going to go change." He nodded and I was about to leave the room when I made a bold decision. I turned back and asked, "Could you wear green tonight?" Carlisle looked away from his laptop screen and asked, "I can, may I ask why?" Blushing I said, "It suits you and I kind of want to match tonight." He nodded and said, "Then I shall wear green just for you sweet girl." I smiled and went to my room. I walked into my room and found a note on the bed. It was from Alice, telling me that it was going to be warm tonight, both weather wise and because of the bonfire, so shorts would be a good idea.

I grabbed my favorite black shorts and a pair of comfortable green flats. Going back into the closet, I tried to choose a top to wear. It took me a bit because I wasn't quite sure what I would be comfortable wearing, but I chose a dark green halter top that wasn't too low cut and went great with my shorts. Unfortunately I forgot that it tied behind the neck and due to some leftover pain from the scars on my collarbone, I couldn't bend my arm to tie it well enough. I was about to call for Alice when there was a knock on my door.

Believing that it was either Alice, Rose or Angela, I said, "Come in." To my embarrassment, and joy, it was not Alice, but Carlisle that entered. He saw me struggling with the ties of my halter top and asked, "May I help you sweet girl?" I nodded and stood still as he tied the top around my neck snug, but not uncomfortably. I was about to turn and thank him when I felt his fingers trailing up my bare back. He whispered in my ear, "I shall have to keep an eye on you tonight sweet girl, to make sure no evil little boys try to steal you away."

I had a feeling he was being serious, but it didn't stop me from giggling anyway. I said, "Don't worry, most of the 'evil' little boys have their own mates so to speak and the only one that doesn't is Embry and he's fourteen. You don't have to worry. Besides I plan on staying by your side all night if I can." He chuckled and kissed my head. Turning me to face him he said, "I actually came up here for a purpose." He took a small box from inside his jeans and handed it to me. Curious, I slowly opened it to find a medium sized pendant on a thick but small chain. Pulling it out, I noticed that it was a green stone with the Cullen crest on it.

Looking up at him I asked, "Is this really mine?" He smiled and said, "I had planned on giving it to you for graduation, but with the Volturi coming and the threats from Edward and Victoria, I wanted you to have it now." Sitting down and pulling me to him he said, "IF anything should happen to the family, I want you to go to the Denali's up in Alaska or to Jasper's friends down in Texas. This necklace will keep you safe. Understand?" I nodded my head and said, "Denali's in Alaska or Texas with Jasper's friends." The smile he gave me was not a bright as before and I wanted to see happiness on his face.

I had gotten better over the past few weeks with hugging and being in small crowds, so I gave Carlisle a long hug and held him close. Looking down, I was about to gather my courage to kiss him and begin moving our relationship forward when Emmett shouted, "Come on you two! Time for a little bonfire and story time." God dammit Emmett!

I sighed and followed Carlisle downstairs. The brief glance I got of his face gave me hope that he was as disappointed as I was that we got interrupted. We all headed to the garage and piled into the cars. Angela and Ben rode with Carlisle and I while Alice and Jasper rode in the Jeep with Emmett and Rose. As I got into the front passenger seat, I saw Alice give Emmett and slap upside the head and whisper something that made his eyes go wide and then guilty. I guess Alice saw something about Carlisle and I and was mad at Emmett for fucking with her vision.

Carlisle and I didn't touch at all on the way to the reservation. If I didn't know that he didn't want to freak out Angela and Ben by showing me affection, I would be upset that he was ignoring me. But since Angela and Ben knew nothing about our bond just yet, it was necessary. Hopefully after coming clean with the secrets of the Cullen family, he would stop with the 'cold shoulder'. My phone went off, alerting me to a text. I didn't recognize the number and there was no name, but I looked at it anyway. It said:

**Don't give up hope Little One. He'll need some mind fuckery to see what you really want.**

** -P**

Whatever. I ignored it, but didn't delete it for some reason. I'd figure I'd show it to Alice to see what she thought. A few minutes later, we pulled into the reservation. I could see several members of the tribe stop and point at the cars, probably wondering why the Cullens were being allowed on Quileute land. I could see Charlie standing with Billy, Sue and the other Elders in front of the meeting house and braced myself for what we were about to do.

Carlisle parked the car, with Emmett right beside him, and all of us got out. Giving Charlie and Billy a quick hug each, I said, "Billy, these are my friends from school, Angela and Ben. Angela, Ben, this is Billy Black. He's Jacob's dad and Chief of the Quileute tribe." Billy shook their hands and then asked Carlisle, "So, how are we doing this?" Carlisle leaned close and whispered in his ear. Billy nodded and said, "Sam and the rest of the boys are over there. We'll be over in about an hour." He then led Charlie away to Sue's house where she was cooking for pretty much the entire tribe. Turning to Angela and Ben, I said, "I want you to meet Sam and the Pack."

Angela said, "Pack?" Nodding I said, "It's what we all call Sam and his little group of friends. They run around the reservation like a pack of wolves so the name kind of stuck. They're cool." Carlisle and I led Angela, Ben and the rest of our family over to where Sam and the boys were talking and chilling out by an already roaring fire. I introduced Angela and Ben and then turned to Sam saying, "How about you tell Angela and Ben some of the old stories. Billy and my dad are gossiping like old women right now."

Sam and Jacob snorted, knowing that what I said wasn't far from the truth. Jacob said, "Either that, or your dad is trying to flirt with Sue." I giggled because I knew that my dad was trying to get Sue to go out with him, but he sucked at flirting. Sam motioned to the logs that were around the fire and said, ""Take a seat, I'll try to do our legends some justice." Carlisle and I sat next to Angela and Ben, but not too close to the fire, the rest of the Cullens following suit. If Angela and Ben thought it was weird, they never said a word.

I sat close to Carlisle as Sam began to tell the legends of the Cold Ones and the first shifters of the tribe. I can say this for Sam, he can tell stories just as well as Billy can, if not better. Other members of the Pack and the tribe joined us as the Sam told of the first time the tribe ever saw a Cold One. None except the Pack sat close to the Cullens and really I couldn't blame them. I watched as Angela and Ben listened and looked at both the Cullens and the Pack as the story went on, as if comparing details from the legends to the people they were sitting beside.

Out of the two, Angela was playing tennis match the most. Each detail that Sam spoke of concerning the Cold Ones, she listened to and then looked at all the Cullens before quickly turning back to listen to more from Sam. Finally the story came to an end and the tribe people that were not part of the Pack left, leaving the rest of us alone. Angela leaned close to me and asked, "Any truth to those legends?" I stood up, put her in front of me facing the Cullens and asked, "What do you see?"

She looked at each and every one of them and said, "They're pale white." Beckoning to Rose, I had her take Angela's hand for a brief moment. Angela gasped and said, "Ice cold skin." She looked into Carlisle eyes and said, "Topaz eyes." She turned to look at me and asked, "Is it real?" "Ask them to do something impossible." Emmett didn't need to be asked, though he did look at Sam for 'permission' before he pulled a tree right out of the ground. Angela and Ben gasped before turning to Sam and Jake asking, "What about you? Are you vampires too?" Jacob laughed and said, "No, we're cooler than that." He and Sam then shifted right in front of Angela and Sam, their wolf forms considerably larger than what was normal.

Angela and Ben just stood there in shock and wonder. A few minutes later she asked, "Why are you telling us this?" I sat her and Ben next to me and said, "Edward nearly killed me when he raped and beat the shit out of me. I think he meant for me to die. He wanted to keep..." I turned to Carlisle to help me explain. He nodded and after sitting beside me, told Angela and Ben all about vampires and mates. Afterwards I said, "Edward has been trying to keep us apart since I got here. I want to keep you guys safe because if he comes back here, he might use you two and my dad to get me to do whatever he wants. You two are my best friends and I don't want you getting hurt because of me."

Angela rolled her eyes and said, "Don't blame yourself for this. It seems to me that Eddie needs to grow up and get a life. If he can't accept the fact that you and Dr. Cullen are meant to be together, then oh well. He needs to get over it. Since I've been around you guys, I can definitely see how much better Dr. Cullen is for you." I smiled and hugged her. She looked and saw my dad coming and asked, "Does Charlie know yet?" I shook my head and said, "He's getting told next. Vampires, shifters, everything." "Including you and Dr. Cullen?" I nodded and said, "We don't want to hide." She nodded and said, "Good luck."

I laughed and waited for Charlie to sit down. He saw us all standing around doing nothing and asked, "So what's going on over here? Some secret club or something?" Carlisle stood and asked, "Charlie, have you ever noticed anything different about my family?" Charlie shook his head and said, "Apart from the fact that you're all vampires?" Can't say that I have Doc." My jaw dropped in shock? Charlie's known this whole time? I sat and asked, "How did you...?"

Charlie chuckled and said, "I wasn't always a small town police chief Bella. Before I met your mom, I worked in some government stuff that I still can't talk about and after submitting reports on some weird crime scenes, I got sent to Italy to talk to some well preserved gentlemen." Carlisle said, "The Volturi let you remain human?" Charlie nodded and said, "They needed some human people to keep an eye out for anything weird that could cause them problems. I'm not the only one." Turning to me he asked, "So why are you 'coming clean' now Bells? What's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath I said, "Edward called and some shit came out. I want to protect you in case he comes back here to finish me off. That, and the Volturi are coming. Do you remember when I disappeared those three days?" Charlie nodded and I said, "Well, I met the Volturi and I'm going to be a vampire." I left out the part about Carlisle and I being mates because Carlisle wanted to be the one to tell him anyway.

Charlie paled a little and said, "They are making you become a vampire?" "Not really Dad. I want to be one." He looked confused so I said, "Carlisle will explain it more." Alice and Rose seemed to sense that I needed to get out of there so Carlisle could talk because they came up and said, "Sorry Charlie, we need to talk to Bella really quick. Angela, you too." Angela and I walked away leaving Carlisle to talk to Charlie and tell him that we were mates.

**Carlisle POV**

I smiled at the girls as they walked away, but my smile slightly disappeared as Charlie asked, "What the hell did she mean?" I sat across from him and asked, "Did the Volturi ever mention anything about mates or something of that nature?" He looked confused for a few moments before he said, "Yeah, Marcus mentioned something along the lines of Renee wasn't meant for me and that I should end it before we hurt each other or someone else. I didn't believe him and a few months after that, Renee left and took Bella with her."

His eyes got big and he said, "Bella isn't mated to that asshole son of yours is she?" I violently shook my head and said, "No! She is not mated to Edward. You can rest easy on that." I turned away from him to watch Bella. She looked absolutely stunning in the light of the fire, her legs long and slightly tan thanks to the strange warm weather Forks had been having lately. She and the girls were dancing to some music and I loved seeing the laughter and smile on her face. She deserved every happiness and I could only hope to bring that to her as our bond grew. I could feel the desire growing inside me at the sight of her naked back and it took everything within me not to do anything to her without her permission. Earlier as I had helped her with the shirt she wore, I could feel her tense up, but not out of fear. I truly believed that we were progressing nicely, but I would do nothing more than what was allowed until she told me different. I do not believe she is ready for anything more at this time and I will wait patiently until she is.

Charlie noticed where my eyes were and asked, "Are you and Bella...?" I nodded and said, " I will protect her with my life and love her for all eternity. With your permission Charlie, I would like to court your daughter with the full intention of marrying her once she is old enough." Charlie chuckled and asked, "How old are you?" I laughed and said, "I was born in 1640 and turned 23 years later. So I am very old Charlie and some of the ways back then have stuck with me."

He nodded and said, "At least you weren't sneaking around with her. You have my permission and as long as she is happy and loved, you'll be good in my books." He stuck out his hand for me to shake and I took it. I spotted Bella staring and saw tears in her eyes. Curious, I walked over to her and asked, "What is wrong beloved?" She shook her head and said, "Nothing really. Just seeing you and Charlie getting along and him approving of us got to me. Edward never gave him that." I nodded and pulled her close.

**End Carlisle POV**

Carlisle and I just stood and watched the others for awhile. I saw Rose talking to Jake, probably about cars and his auto shop. Everyone was getting along, which reminded me that Sam and the Elders were wanting to reformat the treaty. I turned to ask Carlisle, but it seems he knew what I was about to ask because he said, " Sam handed me a new treaty when we arrived. We are now closer allies and are allowed on the reservation. Anyone that comes to visit will need to meet with Sam, but nothing more than that. Oh, and they've allowed a diet change if necessary."

"A diet change?" "It seems Jasper spoke to Sam and the Elders about his friends Peter and Charlotte and their diet. It seems my views on human drinkers was wrong in some ways. Sam and the Elders were convinced and as long as no one from the reservation is harmed or killed, they may hunt as they please." I nodded and then asked, "Are Peter and Charlotte coming here?"

Jasper walked up to us and said, "Peter and his 'gift' felt something and he wants to be here to support us. Carlisle, have you thought about contacting the Denali's?" Carlisle shrugged and said, "With Irina's hatred of the wolves, I doubt they'll come. She's adamant that they pay for Laurent's death." I turned to face him and said, "He tried to kill me! The Pack was only doing what they're supposed to. Maybe if hadn't tried to eat me he would still be alive." Carlisle nodded and said, "I know that sweet girl, but she refuses to believe that he would go back to Victoria or his former diet. We can do nothing to change her mind."

I rolled my eyes and said, " I'd like to give her a piece of my mind." Carlisle and Jasper laughed and Jasper said, "I have no doubt that you would Bella. But let's wait until you're less human before you start punching other vampires." I snorted and said, " I'll do more than that, believe me." Carlisle chuckled and pulled me closer to him, keeping his hands on my hips. I froze a little at his hands on my bare skin above my shorts but when he tried to move them, I said, "Don't. You're fine Carlisle." Turning my head to face him he asked, "Are you sure?" I nodded and said, "I'm very sure."

He kissed my forehead and I sighed. Jasper turned, probably feeling my frustration, but I shook my head, telling him to ignore it. I looked over and saw Alice staring. I needed to talk to her and Rose and soon. Carlisle touch was driving me mad. Alice seemed to See something because she said, "We should get back to the house before it gets too late. Everyone needs to hunt anyway. Jasper and I can take Angela and Ben back to her car after we hunt." Perfect. Since Alice and Rose hunted earlier today, we could talk while the men hunted.

We all said our goodbyes and headed back to the house. Turning to talk to Angela and Ben I said, "So probably next week we'll have some visitors coming. The Volturi are leaders of the vampires world and keepers of its laws. Don't worry about them though. We got permission from them to tell you about vampires. You might have to meet them just to warn you." Angela nodded and said, "Ben and I will discuss what we heard tonight and figure out what we want." I nodded and turned back around. Carlisle, not having to hide how he felt about me, grabbed my hand and kissed it before placing both on the armrest. Soon enough, we reached the house.

It wasn't too late and since we had eaten at the reservation, we could relax a little before Angela and Ben had to leave. Emmett in the end didn't have to hunt, so he volunteered to take Ben to Angela's car so he could drive them home from our house. Carlisle, James and Jasper went to hunt, both wanting to top off after the meeting. Carlisle kissed my forehead before leaving, frustrating me even further. He and Jasper left, finally leaving me alone with Rose, Angela and Alice.

Rose asked, "Okay little sister, what seems to be the trouble?" I sighed and said, "I don't really know to be honest. I want more from Carlisle, but I don't want sex yet. I love that he is taking things slow with me, but this slow is slightly aggravating. Am I making any sense?" Alice laughed and said, "Of course you are Bella. You probably want more making out and a little touching right? Not full on dry humping and sex." I nodded and said, "The fact that you know that disturbs me somewhat." She giggled and said, "Emmett interrupted what would have been a good make out session, I saw that."

I blushed and said, "Yeah, I was thinking that too. To be honest, I don't want to make the first move. I had enough of that with..." Rose made a noise like she understood what I was about to say and asked, "You know that his hesitation wasn't real right?" " No shit Rose. I know that what Edward and I had wasn't real. Doesn't mean that his rejection and hesitancy still didn't hurt." Angela asked, "So you're scared that if you take the first step forward, Carlisle will push you away?" "In a way, yes. I know that he told me that I would have to tell, or show him that I am ready to move forward, but I kind of want him to show me what he is capable of. I want more of the man than the gentleman. I want to see his passion."

Angela said, "When Ben and I started dating, he was shy with me too. He wanted to make sure that I was ready for more. It took me kissing him hard quite a few times before he realized that I wanted more. Then it took me walking around in short pajamas or my underwear to get him to go further. I will never forget the time we finally had sex and my dad walked in. Ben thought my dad was going to shoot him. But all my dad did was make sure that we were using protection and left. He knew that for me to trust Ben enough to have sex was big and he didn't want to ruin that for me, too much anyway."

She sat next to me and said, "Show Carlisle that you're ready for more. Either by talking to him or showing him. You know what you are and are not ready for. That's my advice." I nodded and said, "Okay, now that my head is clearer, I can do that." Right as I said that, Jasper, Carlisle, James, Emmett and Ben returned. Ben said, "Angela, we'd better head home, your mom called me asking how much longer we were going to stay." Angela nodded, said goodbye to us all, and then they left.

I said, "I'm going to take a shower. I smell like smoke." I walked up the stair and turning back, I saw Carlisle staring at me. I smiled and went to my room. As I walked in, it began to rain, hard. Looks like the nice weather was over for the time being. I grabbed some underwear and deciding to go a different route with my pajamas, grabbed a tank top and a pair of plaid pajama shorts. Turning on the water, I glanced at my body in the mirror. The bruises had faded, the only marks remaining from Edward's attack being the three scars on my collarbone. They were deep enough to cause issues with bending my arm in certain directions, but nothing more than that.

I turned and glanced at my naked back in the mirror. I had always thought about getting a tattoo on my back and now seemed the perfect time. It would be eternal, so I would have to think carefully about what to get. Shaking my head at the possibilities, I jumped in the shower and quickly bathed. Getting out, I dressed and walked back into my room. I laughed at the sight on the bed. Books and magazines full of tattoos laying there. You have to love Alice. I gathered them and put them in the deepest drawer of the desk before heading to Carlisle's office. I was nervous, but I needed this. I wanted to move forward.

I knocked on the door and after hearing Carlisle tell me to come in, I asked, "Can we talk?" He nodded and said, "Of course sweet girl. What do you want to talk about?" I sat on his desk, right in front of him and his chair. He stood, towering over me slightly, but not in a threatening way. Gathering my courage I said, "You told me that I would need to tell you when I was ready to move forward in our relationship right?" He nodded and said, "Yes, that's what I said Isabella."

I reached up, pull his head down to mine, and kissed him. He froze for a few seconds, but then started to kiss me back. I was about to wrap my hands around his neck when he broke the kiss, pulled away and said, "Bella, no."

I froze.

**Carlisle POV**

She was kissing me and Gods above I was enjoying it. But it was too soon, she wasn't ready for this. I believe the impending visit from the Volturi has pushed her to further our relationship before she is truly would need to see that our bond was progressing, I knew that much, but I didn't want her to rush things because of them. I pulled away and said, "Bella, no."

The look on her face told me that I had just hurt her greatly. She stepped away from me and said, "I guess I was wrong. You don't want me at all." Then she ran out. I went to follow her and I heard Alice say, "Bella, don't go, it's raining." Worried, I ran to the front door to find it open and Bella nowhere in sight. Panicking, I pulled out my cell and called Sam. I told him that Bella was out in the rain and we needed help to find her.

I turned and Alice slapped me. She said, "Nice going Carlisle. Now your future and her's are blurry as hell. She was ready Carlisle. Not for sex, but more than what you were currently doing. You fix this and you fix it fast." She turned to James and said, "Go after her. You'll be needed anyway."

I asked, "Why him?" She rolled her eyes and said, "Well one, she won't want to see you right now and two, Victoria is going to find her. Best way to end her hatred is to have James show up. Jasper, you go with him, Bella is going to need you as well."

Dread filled me. I had hurt her and then placed her in the worst danger by rejecting her. I could only hope that she would forgive me in time...

**AN: Uh oh, Carlisle fucked up big time...will Bella forgive him and allow him to love her? What will happen when Victoria finds her? And what about the Volturi, will Marcus be able to help Bella and Carlisle?**

**Also, coming up: Bella figures out another of Edward's secrets that may hold a clue as to his hatred of Carlisle and the madness within. Stay tuned...update will be coming as soon as possible...**


	15. Chapter 14

**AN: YAY! Frankly the way I ended the last chapter stuck with me and I wanted to write more of this story. Now you're probably wondering if Carlisle screwed up enough to not get a HEA...yeah he didn't mess up that much. Carlisle doesn't understand women as much as he should and he reacted badly. So things between Bella and Carlisle are going to be tense for a bit.**

**In this chapter...well Victoria makes an appearance. Will James get there in time? And let's just say that Alice will help Bella get Carlisle's attention in order to make him suffer...**

**And we're back in Bella's POV just FYI**

**Let the show begin**

**Chapter 14: An Enemy Returns; The Volturi and Carlisle gets what's coming to him..**

I ran, I admit it. I didn't want to hear any bullshit excuses coming from him. My heart couldn't take anymore lies. I ran out of his office, down the stairs and out the front door. I didn't care that it was pouring rain or that I didn't have any shoes on. I just ran.

I heard someone shouting for me, but I ignored it as I ran through the woods onto the reservation lands. I ran and ran, not stopping despite the pain going through my feet because of my lack of shoes. I knew where I wanted to go and I ran there as fast as I could. I could hear wolves howling in the forest and knew my furry brothers were watching me as I ran. They knew not to interfere when it came to me. I was running for a reason and they knew it.

A couple of painful hours later and I reached my destination. The cliff where I had once jumped in order to hear Edward's voice after he left me. I had no intention of jumping again, having nearly died the last time, but I did sit on the edge, close enough to fall. Wrapping my arms around my legs, I began to cry, the rain mixing with my tears. _'He lied to me,' _ I thought. _'He fucking lied to me. I'm probably just a joke to him, or a waste seeing as he can't do anything with me because I'm just a fucking pathetic human!'_

If this was what I was in for as Carlisle's 'mate', I wasn't going to do it. Fuck him if he's just going to screw around with my head, tease me and make promises he can't keep. With the Volturi coming I'll probably have to make nice during their visit. Unless I convince them that I won't be a threat to them by knowing about vampires and leave Forks right after. Or I can join them and leave Forks with them. That's what I'll do and screw Carlisle unless he 'convinces' me otherwise, which I doubt.

**Alice POV**

Oh shit. Bella's future just unblurred and then went blurry again. The decisions that she were deciding between were emotional and ones I hoped could be changed. I was not going to lose my best friend and sister because of Carlisle's stupidity. As of right now, he was sitting on the couch moping and he really had no right to. I walked up and said, "Carlisle, if she leaves because of this, I'll rip you apart myself." He sighed and asked, "What are you talking about Alice?"

Seeing the despair in his eyes softened me just a little and I said, "Carlisle, she just made the decision to wait until the Volturi arrive before ending everything. She's either going to try and convince them that she won't be a threat if allowed to leave our family or she's going to ask to join the Volturi and leave Forks. For good." The despair in his eyes grew as I told him of Bella's current decision and he asked, "What have I done? I can't lose her again. Alice, what can I do?"

I shrugged and said, "I really can't help you because things just got blurry again. All I can tell you is that you'll have to start sucking up and begging for forgiveness. I hope that when the Volturi do arrive that Marcus can help the both of you because I can't." Carlisle's head dropped down into his hands again and I turned away and tried to focus on Bella again, keeping an eye out for Victoria.

**End Alice POV**

I knew it was dangerous being out in the middle of the forest with Victoria still out there trying to kill me, but right now I couldn't care less if she found me. I mean, I'd try to stop and tell her that James was alive, but other than that, I really didn't care what happened to me at the moment. Just as my luck would have it, who should appear right after I thought that but Victoria herself. Great.

Her smile was cruel and slightly mad as she said, "Poor little Bella, out here all alone?" I sniffed the air and smelled both James and Jasper so I said, "Nope, just being given some space that's all." She laughed and said, "Sure you are. It doesn't matter anyway, I'm going to kill you no matter what." "You wouldn't be doing it for the right reasons just to let you know." She paused and asked, "What?"

I rolled my eyes and said, "Well first of all, Edward is not my mate, proven by the fact that he raped and beat me nearly to death a few months ago. Second, I'm Carlisle Cullen's mate, though I am seriously doubting that right now thanks to his rejection a few minutes ago and last but not least, James isn't dead. He's standing in the trees behind me. So really, you have no reason to kill me." I turned to look at her and what I saw made me laugh.

Victoria was frozen there just staring at me after what I just spilled out. She was still in shock as she asked, "He raped you?" I nodded and said, "Yep. Right in the forest behind you. According to him I was a filthy whore because I'd rather hang out with a guy friend of mine rather than going shopping with his sister." She shook her head and asked, "You said James was alive, how is that possible?" "That would be courtesy of the same sister that I didn't want to go shopping with. She had a vision that James was trying to protect me from Edward and saved him from the fire. He's alive and has been living with us for awhile." Turning towards where I knew both James and Jasper were standing, I said, "James, get out here and calm your girl down."

I watched as James walked out from behind the treeline and over to Victoria. Her eyes, upon seeing him alive and well, lost the madness within. She ran to him and they embraced. She began to dry sob at the contact and James rocked her gently as she cried. I couldn't help but be happy for them, even in my own misery. At least one relationship ruined by Edward's madness had been healed and sewn back together. I could not say the same for mine and Carlisle's. My original decision to leave was still an option, but one I was reluctant to take. I wasn't forgiving Carlisle, but the thought of leaving still hurt like hell.

I felt Jasper come up behind me and he said, " Let's get you home Bella, you're soaking wet." I nodded and tried to stand but I was too cold and stiff to move. Jasper noticed and picked me up and carried me in his arms. He held me close and said, "I'm so sorry Bella. Just give him time. He knows he handled it wrong." I glared at Jasper, wondering why he was defending Carlisle when he said, "I'm not saying that you should forgive him right away. Make him beg and give him hell little sister." I laughed and said, "Oh, I will."

He chuckled and as we followed James and Victoria back to the house, Jasper said, "My only suggestion is that you listen to what he has to say before you make any final choices." I nodded and that's when I saw Carlisle standing there in front of the house. He looked so distraught and guilty that I wanted to go and tell him everything was okay and that we'd be fine, but a part of me, the part that was hurt by his rejection didn't want to, so I just ignored him

Not that he let me really. The alpha in him mixed with the doctor as he said, "Alice, Rose, take Bella upstairs and get her into a hot bath before she gets sick." Catching my eye he said, "After you've bathed and dressed warm, I'll come and check on you." I couldn't really argue with him. Besides, I felt like taking Jasper's advice and talking to him before going to sleep. I wasn't going to forgive him quickly trust me, but maybe we could start again. Maybe with him begging and me teasing. Sounds fair right?

Rose and Alice helped me upstairs and once in my room, Alice started the bath while Rose dried me off as much as she could before taking my wet clothes and the towels down to be washed. I grabbed some new underwear, black pajama pants, a red tank top, socks and a black thermal. Alice left the room saying that my bath was ready and I quickly jumped in. The bath water felt amazing against my cold skin and I sighed in pleasure.

I soaked for who knows how long before quickly washing up again and then getting out. Drying off quickly, I got dressed and put my hair in a tight braid before going back into my bedroom where I found Carlisle waiting. He was in full doctor mode but I could tell that he would be concerned about me no matter what. I crawled into bed and let him do his thing. After he checked me over, he said, "May I speak?" I nodded and after sitting down next to me, Carlisle said, " I apologize with all of my heart for what I did to you. At the time, I believed that you were not ready for more in our relationship and were only trying to move us forward because the Volturi arrive next week."

I was confused. Really confused so I asked, "What do the Volturi have to do with the fact that I kissed you and you rejecting me?" "The Volturi, when it comes to incomplete bonds, will want some kind of proof that a relationship is progressing. So when you kissed me, I thought it was because of that and not out of actual desire for me." Pissed off at his assumption for why I kissed him, I said, "First of all, I didn't know that about the Volturi because you never told me. Not that it matters what they want because our relationship goes at the pace we want."

I stood and said, "Second, if I didn't want to kiss you, I wouldn't have done it. Finally, if you weren't sure if I was ready to move our relationship forward, you should have asked me. To be honest Carlisle, I don't feel like the pace of this relationship is really all that fair. I don't want to be the one to make the first move every time we both want to move forward. I want more from you than chaste kisses. I want you to kiss me until I'm breathless. Frankly Carlisle, you should have talked to me about your concerns rather than push me away. You were cruel Carlisle and I'm hurt."

Carlisle nodded and pulled me closer to him before saying, "You're right, I should have talked to you about my concerns and handled things better. I do want you Bella, can you forgive me sweet girl?" Hearing my favorite endearment come out of his mouth softened me a little, but I was still unsure of our future. I tried to pull away a bit but couldn't, so I stood in front of him and said, "I don't know Carlisle. I'm just so tired of the hesitancy and lies. To tell you the truth while I'm not ready for sex, I do want more. I want you, but right now I don't know what I want to do."

Carlisle nodded and asked, "So, if I were to kiss you, would you let me?" Preparing myself for yet another chaste kiss to the forehead, I gave a short nod. Imagine my surprise when he gently grasped my face in his hands and kissed me gently, but with a whole lot of passion. I gasped slightly in shock, which gave Carlisle the opportunity to deepen the kiss. We kissed for what seemed to be hours before he gently broke it and said, "I know that this doesn't get me forgiven, but perhaps it can be a new start for us?"

Biting my lip, I nodded and said, "I still expect some kind of sucking up from you." Carlisle laughed and said, "I'll see what I can do. Now sweet girl, it's late and you have school in the morning. Time for bed." I nodded and got back into bed. Carlisle gave me a quick passionate kiss as I settled in and then left the room. As he closed the door I heard him say, "I'll do whatever it takes to earn my place beside you again."

Fast forward a few days and life is back to normal. Well, as normal as it can be. We spent most of our time at school or planning for the Volturi's arrival at the end of the month. Victoria had been introduced to Sam and added to the treaty. To the humans of Forks, she was James' wife who had finally joined him after settling their affairs back home. She blended in well and took to the animal diet quickly, despite being told that she could still hunt humans if she wished. She told us, and Sam, that she wanted to be like James and that she really didn't like the contacts enough to wear them all the time. Surprisingly, she and the Pack became great friends, her talent of evasiveness testing their tracking and capture techniques easily.

Now that I knew that Charlie knew everything, contact with him was easier to maintain. He had successfully asked Sue out, but was afraid of losing her to his horrible cooking. So I taught him a few simple and complicated dishes so he didn't have to take her to the diner on every date. He was grateful and I think Sue was as well. They were good together and I was happy that Charlie had moved on from Renee.

As for Carlisle and I, well we were starting again, thought it was at a slower pace than before. Well, maybe not that slow. He had learned his lesson, but to a point. We were communicating, but it was stilted. I was still a little scared that we were both wrong and that I wasn't his mate, or anyone else's. Only Marcus of the Volturi could tell us for sure.

He was very good at sucking up too. When I went to school after the bonfire, I found a brand new messenger bag with all my school stuff inside. Carlisle knew that I hated expensive, non practical gifts. He gave me things I could use or that brightened my day.

Today, I was waiting for his next gift, his routine being one gift a day, knowing that any more than that would be too much. But as the day passed with no delivery, I began to think he had forgotten. I was sitting next to Alice and Jasper in Henderson's class, feeling a little depressed when there was a knock at the classroom door. Henderson, irritated that his lecture had been interrupted, threw the door open and asked whoever was there, "What do you want?"

The person standing there said, " I have a delivery for a Miss Bella Swan. I am to deliver it to her personally." Still irritated, Henderson sneered and said, "She's in the back, third row. Get on with it." A young man, probably about Jasper's real age, came in carrying a bouquet of daisies and baby roses. I raised my hand to let him know that I was the person he needed and he quickly placed it on my desk before quickly leaving.

Henderson, glaring at me for being the reason behind his interrupted lecture, resumed said lecture. I shrugged it off and took a closer look at Carlisle's gift. The daisies were in bright multiple colors, while the roses were in softer light colors. Tucked in with the flowers was a cute floppy brown bear, a note and a small box. Getting Alice and Jasper to keep an eye on Henderson, I grabbed the note and read:

_Dearest sweet girl,_

_ I hope these flowers brighten your day. I miss you during the hours we are apart. I also miss the ease of our talks. Since that night, things have been different. I hope with all of my heart that we can come together like we once were soon. I love you sweet girl and I always will._

_ Eternally yours,_

_ Carlisle_

His words melted my heart. They spoke true about the uneasiness between us. I would try to heal it as much as I could before the Volturi arrived and perhaps Marcus could help us heal the rest. Tucking the note back beside the bear, I opened the small box and found a ring with the Cullen crest on it. Alice leaned towards me and said, "He wanted you to have another way to wear it." I grinned and slipped it on.

My grin never left my face and I carried the bouquet with me all day, placing it on my desk when I got home. When Carlisle came home after dinner, I gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. We were healing, which is all we could do. Maybe getting everything out in the open when we talked to Marcus would help us even more.

The next day, I went to school alone, the sun making another rare appearance in Forks. School passed with no deliveries, but Alice had texted me saying that Carlisle was slammed at the hospital, picking up an extra shift to make up for the time he'd lose during the Volturi's visit. The day passed so slow that I was eager to just get home and clean as long as I got away from there. Hell, even Henderson had been particularly nasty today, especially to me. I got through it and drove home.

When I got there, I found Alice, Rose and Victoria hard at work, cleaning and dusting the house. Jasper, Emmett and James were out hunting and dealing with the yard. Dropping my bag off in my room, I began dusting, letting Alice and Rose take care of the sweeping and mopping and Victoria handled any laundry we had. I didn't see the point at first, since the Volturi were staying at a hotel in Seattle, but Alice told me that even though the Volturi weren't staying with us, we still had to make a good impression.

After the house was taken care of, we changed into bikinis and shorts to wash the cars. This was Alice's bright idea that had me thinking she had a vision. I slipped on my new red bikini and my dark blue jean shorts, along with my red Converse, Culllen crest ring and my rose pendant. I walked out to find Victoria and Rose pulling tarps onto the seats of Emmett's Jeep before they started to clean it. Alice had already started washing the Porsche, Jasper's Mustang waiting beside it.

That left me to care for Carlisle's Mercedes, Carlisle having been taken to work by Alice before the sun rose. He would be walking home and since that wouldn't be until after dark, which was actually getting closer than I'd realized, picking him up wouldn't be an issue. He could run home, or he could just buy a new car to get home. Men and their cars.

Alice said, "We don't have much time until the boys get home. Let's get this done." I nodded and gently sprayed the car with water, making sure every inch was wet before tackling it with soap. The car was surprisingly filthy, which led to a lot of gentle but effective scrubbing. I was about to start on the tires when a spray of cold water alerted me to Alice standing right behind me. I gasped, turned and sprayed her in turn. Soon enough, we went from washing the cars to getting each other wet and soapy. I haven't laughed this hard in such a long time.

We were all completely filthy and were slipping around in the mud when the boys came home, Carlisle included. As the four of them looked us, slick with mud, water and barely covered in our bikinis and shorts, I could see desire coming out of their eyes. It was slightly gross considering three of them were my brothers, but when I saw the desire in Carlisle's eyes, it didn't seem so bad. It actually erased a few more doubts about our future.

Carlisle smirked at me as he carefully made his way over to the concrete path beside us. Helping me stand, he asked, "Having fun sweet girl?" Giggling I said, "Alice started it. I just fought back." Seeming not to care about his clothes, he pulled me close, laughed and said, "Well, let's get you rinsed off so you can shower and change. It seems our guests arrived early and are coming to the house tonight to make the initial greetings."

We all groaned, but got ready anyway. Carlisle helped me rinse off as much mud as possible before wrapping me in a bunch of towels and carrying me to my bathroom. As he left to let me shower, he said, "Wear something pretty tonight Isabella. I want to show you off." I nodded and he left me to shower.

I washed the mud from my hair and body, the water not running clear until I had washed at least three times. I shaved my legs and underarms before rinsing one last time and getting out. I dried off, wrapped a towel around me and went into my room to pick out an outfit to wear. I wanted to wear something nice, but not too formal or uncomfortable. I looked throughout my closet, trying to find something pretty to wear that would make Carlisle proud.

As I looked, Alice texted me with a note saying that Carlisle was wearing all black, which opened up a few more options for me. Going to wear I kept my dresses and skirts, I picked out a sleeveless black dress with black lace overlay and a dark garnet sash. Looking at the color of the sash and the color of my nails that Alice had 'conveniently' done for me the night before, I smirked at the sneakiness of the Pixie. Hanging the dress on the door hook, I went about getting ready.

Slipping on a set of lace underwear that matched the sash, I went ahead and did my makeup and hair. I put my hair in a simple twist, securing it with some only hair clips that had been a gift from Carlisle. My makeup was a little darker, thanks to the dark gray eyeshadow and dark garnet lipstick I chose to wear. Finally, I slipped the dress up over my hips and pulled up the zipper at the side.

Choosing a pair of dark garnet dangle earrings and a ring in the same color, I grabbed my black heels with garnet on the underside and headed to the stairs. I saw the rest of my family waiting downstairs, also dressed in their semi-formal clothes. I put the heels on and began walking down the steps, the taps of my heels on the stairs alerting them to my entrance.

Carlisle met me at the bottom of the stairs, the stark black of his dress shirt and pants making his blonde hair and topaz eyes stand out even more. Gently lifting me up he said, "You look absolutely gorgeous Isabella." I blushed a little as he set me down on my feet and gave him a quick kiss. We walked into the living room and after sitting down, I asked, "So what do you think will be happening while the Volturi are here Carlisle?"

Pulling me closer to him he said, "I believe tonight will just be a welcome and small discussion part of their visit. Since they know about the role we have to keep up with in front of the town, all talks and planning will happen after school and work." He turned to me and said, "The first thing we'll do is talk to Marcus. Then we'll deal with Edward and anything else together." I nodded and said, "We'll be okay. No holding back and no secrets."

He nodded and hugged me close. We made small talk, my light dinner the only thing interrupting it. After I had cleaned up, I was about to sit back down when Carlisle grabbed my hand and asked, "Dance with me?" I giggled, nodded and we danced to some really romantic slow songs.

After a few moments of dancing, I looked up at Carlisle and all I saw in his eyes was love, desire and a small bit of possession. I smiled and reached up to kiss him. Just as our lips touched, someone knocked at the door, startling Carlisle just enough to hug me close to him.

The Volturi were here...


	16. Chapter 15

**AN: I'm back! Sorry for the long absence. Being pregnant, not to mention lack of creative juices left me without any inclination to write. But I'm back and ready to start updating again. So here we have the next chapter of Immortal Desires Can Be Deadly. In this chapter, we have the Volturi's arrival and the talk between Bella, Carlisle and Marcus. Sort of like a therapy session which is much needed after the events in the last chapter. Now I know that some are eager for some action between our two lovers, but not this chapter. Carlisle and Bella are still getting to know each other and so the hesitancy lingers. But not for long, I promise.**

**So without further delay, here is Ch. 15 of Immortal Desires Can Be Deadly**

**Ch. 15: Welcoming the Volturi & a Talk with Marcus**

Everyone also froze as the doorbell rang. Carlisle was tense and held me close as he turned to face the door. He had positioned himself to where he was slightly in front of me, but still holding me close. As I looked around and saw my sisters being held in the same way, I realized that they were protecting us from a perceived enemy. I knew that was the Volturi at our door since all of the family was in the room with Carlisle and me.

Still, I understood their fear. Carlisle had told me stories about the Volturi and I now knew about the Volturi's habit of breaking promises and executing covens for supposed violations. I had my own fears about them coming here. I feared that the rest of my family would be punished because of Edward not turning me as he promised he would. My biggest fear was that Marcus would tell us that I wasn't Carlisle's mate and would either kill me or take me away and turn me. No matter what happened, I wanted to stay with the Cullens.

The doorbell rang again, breaking my train of thought. I put a hand on Carlisle's shoulder and said, "Carlisle, answer the door. We can't keep them waiting." That snapped him and the others out of whatever trance they were in and Carlisle released his grip on me. Kissing my forehead, he whispered, "Stay near Jasper." and then headed for the door. As he walked away, the fear I had pushed aside for Carlisle's sake reared its ugly head once more. Good thing I have an empath for a brother.

Jasper came up behind me and I felt his gift reach out to me. Once I was more relaxed, he asked, "What was with the large dose of fear Bella? You aren't scared of them are you?" "Jasper, I am only scared of two things right now." "What's that?" "I'm scared that either you all will get in trouble for Edward not turning me or…" "Or what Bells?" "Or Marcus is going to see that I'm not Carlisle's mate and they'll either kill me or take me away." Jasper was silent for a few moments and in that silence, I heard Carlisle welcoming the Volturi and leading them to the stairs.

Jasper broke the silence by saying, "Bella, you know that Marcus has seen the bond between you and Carlisle. He wouldn't lie about a bond ever. As far as getting in trouble for what Edward did, I highly doubt it. He made the promise with no intention of keeping it and since they know just what he is capable of, they know that whatever he's said in the past was probably a lie. They can't hold that against us. So just breathe Bella and let the chips fall where they may."

I smiled, nodded and took a deep breath before sitting back down on the love seat. The voices I had briefly heard downstairs got louder as Carlisle finally returned, followed closely by Aro, Caius and Marcus. As I looked upon the three vampires who held my fate in their hands, I found myself shocked my Marcus' appearance. The last time I had seen him in person, though brief, he had been solemn, bored and generally disinterested in everything around him. Now, he seemed happy and more interested in the eternal life he still had ahead of him. He caught my eye and the smile he gave me was large and real.

Carlisle made his way back over to me and kissed my head before turning to our guests and asking, "May I offer you something to drink? I have the usual offering and also animal blood." All three made their selections from Carlisle's collection of liquor and then sat in the chairs that were remaining after the rest of the family resumed their seats. After a few moments of silence Jasper asked, "So where is your guard? I didn't sense them when you arrived."

Aro said, "They will be here by tomorrow. Demetri recently found a rather gifted newborn while dealing with a vampire issue in Russia. He wanted to train her control both thirst and gift wise before bringing her along. Her gift may be useful in dealing with young Edward." "What is her gift exactly?" "She has a strange gift. How I can best explain it is that she can change her appearance at will and keep up the charade as long as she feeds well during that time. Also when using the gift, she takes on the memories of her appearance as well." Before he could say anything else, Alice gasped and said, "Oh Marcus, she's stunning. Oh, and Demetri will be here tomorrow with her. Her control is amazing." We all chuckled at the look of love and pride on Marcus' face.

Marcus turned slightly and seeing me wrapped tightly in Carlisle's arms, turned back to Aro and said, "Brothers, perhaps we can tell them our ruling in regards to our judgment made during Isabella's last visit. Then I will need to talk to Carlisle and Isabella alone." The way he said alone told me that he meant business. Jasper nodded and said, "I'll be happy to take Aro and Caius to a safe territory to hunt. After they meet Sam of course."

Both Aro and Caius agreed before Aro stood and said, "The first time we met Isabella, the decision regarding her mortality was assured by both Edward Masen and Alice Cullen. We were also assured that it would happen quickly. Yet here we sit and Isabella is still mortal." I grabbed Carlisle's hand hard. This was it, my worst fear was coming true.

My fear held until I saw Caius roll his eyes before saying, "Aro, quit scaring the girl. You're pissing off Carlisle." Indeed, Carlisle's eyes were as black as death and he was growling low and deep. Aro seemed to realize that he had gone too far in whatever joke he was playing and said, "However, with the new information given to us, as well as the fact that it was not Isabella's true mate that gave us that assurance has led us to decide that Carlisle, as coven leader and Isabella's true mate, will have the final say in when Isabella is to be turned. No punishment will be levied against this family for Edward's deception."

I let out a sigh of relief. One fear down, one to go. Jasper, Aro, Caius and the rest of the family stood and left. Jasper would first take them to meet Sam before taking them out of state to hunt. Once Marcus was sure that everyone was gone, he turned to Carlisle and myself and said, "I've observed your bond since our arrival and I've seen some oddities. Now for obvious reasons, your union is unconsummated and I would be cruel in trying to force you to do so. For a mating bond so new, it is remarkably strong. Yet I sense some cracks in it. What has happened since we last spoke?"

At Carlisle's nod of encouragement, I said, "My relationship with Edward was never an equal one, in any aspect. If there was something about me he didn't like, he made sure that it didn't happen again or that I didn't do it again. I lost so much of myself while we were dating. I gave up my friends, the way I dressed. I even gave up time with my father to make him happy." Marcus nodded and then asked, "Yet I sense a deeper issue here?"

Taking a deep breath I continued, "Edward was very stingy in regards to anything intimate. Kissing, touching, etc. At first I believed it was because of my blood, as he told me early on. Aro's explanation in Italy about my being Edward's singer seemed to reinforce that. But when he kept up the behavior after telling me that my blood no longer troubled him to that level, I began to have doubts about his real reasons for withholding even the simple affections from me. He made me doubt why he was even with me." "So his hesitancy made you doubt your own worth and therefore anyone else's interest in you, especially Carlisle's?"

I nodded and asked, "How could I not? No offense, but look at what I am surrounded by." Marcus nodded again and then asked, "Carlisle, what caused the most recent cracks? There is a tense feeling between the two of you. Small, but still present." Carlisle took an unnecessary deep breath before saying, "Due to Edward's attack on Bella, we've taken things slow as far as intimacy. I told Bella early on that she would have to show or tell me she wanted more before I would do anything. I was not going to cause her further harm merely to satisfy my own desires."

I stepped in by saying, "Unfortunately, Carlisle didn't know just how stilted my relationship with Edward really was. So when I attempted to show him that I was ready to move forward, he pushed me away believing that I was pressing forward to make him happy and not because I was truly ready. We've moved past it, but things are still a little tense. We both want to move forward and progress, but really we don't know how." Carlisle nodded in agreement with what I said and kissed my forehead.

Marcus leaned back in his chair and was silent for a few moments. After what seemed to be an eternity, he leaned forward and said, "First of all, just to ease your fears Isabella, the two of you are mates. In fact, your bond is one of the brightest I have seen in my many years on this earth. Second, I believe that the cracks in your bond are not your doing. Your bond was initially made during the worst of times. As you know Carlisle, normally when a mating bond is first formed, it is immediately consummated."

He stood, moved to the window and said, "The rape prevented your consummation, so your bond suffered because of it. Add the continued threats, stress from the outside world, not to mention the lack of alone time and it's no wonder you two are stumbling. You both need to be able to talk and be close to each other without interruption." He turned back to us and said, "Here is my suggestion. Set aside time each night for yourselves. Use that time to talk and to explore. Learn about each other emotionally and physically. It will bring you closer together and may also relieve some tension, yes?"

I blushed, quickly hiding my face in Carlisle's chest. Both Carlisle and Marcus chuckled at my reaction before Marcus said, "I think that tonight would be a good night for you to start. Tomorrow we will discuss everything else. Take the night for yourselves." He shook Carlisle's hand and kissed mine before leaving and following the same trail the others had taken.

I collapsed back on the loveseat and gently slipped off the heels I had worn. Carlisle knelt in front of me and slowly began massaging my feet. After a few moments of silence he asked, "What do you want to do Isabella?" I smiled and said, "First, I need a quick shower. Then I want to take Marcus' advice. Let's talk and explore each other. I know what I'm ready for and I honestly want to get to know you better in every way. Can we do that?"

Carlisle didn't say anything and for a moment I thought he was going to say no, but he didn't. He just stood, helped me stand and then led me out of the living room and upstairs. Going into my room, he led me into the bathroom and stopped. He moved to where he was behind me and put his hand on the zipper of my dress. At my nod, he slowly unzipped the dress and pulled the shoulders off just enough to where the straps of my bra were showing.

Taking my hair out of the bun it was in, he kissed my shoulder, my neck and my ear before saying, "Take your time. I need to hunt and shower myself. If you finish before I return, my room is at the end of the hall. Make yourself at home." I nodded, kissed the corner of his mouth, and then started to undress as he left. I removed my makeup and quickly took a shower, my excitement and nervousness making me rush. Getting out and drying off, I wrapped a towel around my body and then tried to pick out something to wear.

Not wanting to send the wrong message, yet still assure Carlisle that I was ready for this step in our relationship, I chose a pair of simple black boy shorts and a spaghetti strap nightgown that was comfortable yet sexy. I slipped a robe on and went to Carlisle's bedroom.

He had made the room inviting before he left to hunt. The bed, covered in dark green bedding, was turned down and the lights had been dimmed. A noise from the bathroom alerted me to the fact that Carlisle had returned. The running water merely confirmed that we were really about to do this. I slipped my robe off and got into the bed. The shower shut off just as I got comfortable.

Carlisle stepped out wearing only a pair of low slung pajama pants. As I stared at him I wondered. Could Carlisle and I do this without any problems? I hoped so, because I really wanted to touch him and from the heated look in his eyes, I could tell that he wanted to touch me as well.


	17. Chapter 16

**AN: Hello again! Here's the next chapter of Immortal Desires Can Be Deadly. Now in this chapter, there are some adult themes, so if you're not interested in reading, then don't read this chapter. Now, it's not full on sex, but it is naughty lol. So here it is. I hope you enjoy!**

**Oh and check out my new story, Surrendering to Fate**

**Immortal Desires Can Be Deadly**

**Ch. 16: Time Alone and Realizing the Truth pt. 1**

**Carlisle POV**

If I said I wasn't nervous about what was about to happen tonight, I would be a liar. I was extremely nervous, yet also eager about it. After leaving Bella to her nightly routine, I had immediately left and gone to my own room. I changed into my hunting clothes, an old t-shirt and jeans, before turning down the bed and going out to hunt.

As I ran deep within the forest, I concentrated on what Bella and I had been told earlier. Marcus had been absolutely right in his evaluation of our bond and his advice was sound. Bella and I haven't really gotten any alone time since becoming a couple. School, my job, not to mention our more recent fight and my rejection had severely damaged our already fragile union. She and I both needed at least one night, if not more, to ourselves to repair the damage and move forward.

I quickly took down two deer, feeling overly full afterwards. I hadn't hunted to feed, but more to be safe with Isabella. I would never hurt her, which was against my nature both as her mate and as a man. But I also knew that in the throes of passion, things could get out of control. I didn't know how far Isabella and I would go tonight, but I would make sure that it would not be a night that either of us would regret.

Burying my kills and dusting off as much as possible, I ran back home. Just as I stepped into the shower, I heard Bella step into my room. I didn't have to be Jasper to sense that she was nervous. Her emotions were more obvious to me now that we were mated and hers had been all over the place since the Volturi's arrival. Her biggest emotions had been fear and also shock. Shock had been the most prominent when Marcus had revealed that it was Bella's rape that had hurt our bond the most, realization soon following. Realization over what, I didn't know.

Hearing Bella make her way over to the bed broke me from my thoughts. I quickly finished scrubbing off the blood and dirt from my hunt and switched off the water, grabbing a towel as I stepped out. Drying off, I listened to Bella's heartbeat as I pulled on a pair of loose drawstring pajama pants. It was steady and I was hopeful that it would stay that way for the rest of the night.

Slowly opening the bathroom door, I flipped the light off and stepped out. Bella was sitting on what would be her side of the bed, knees drawn up to her chest. She was wearing a simple white cotton nightgown with thin straps covering her shoulders. I could see the scars on her collarbone, the only physical reminder of Edward's brutal attack on her body. I didn't linger on them long, the desire in her deep chocolate eyes easily capturing my attention.

I wanted to touch her so badly, to sink my hands into her soft curls and seize her mouth with my own, but I needed to know something first. Walking closer to her I asked, "Bella, I need you to be completely honest with me. I do not want to push you too far. So I'm asking you what is not going to happen." She nodded, took a deep breath and said, "I'm not ready for sex, I know that much. Touching is okay just go slow." She grinned and said, "Making out would be great." I chuckled at that grin, agreeing completely. Her next statement shocked me, yet made my cock hard as a rock.

She said, "Dry humping I'm not sure about, but maybe we could try a little and see." I was slightly shocked, never even thinking that she would suggest such a thing. Turning away slightly to adjust myself and also trying to get my cock to ease a little, I said, "Okay, but if I do anything that makes you uncomfortable, promise me you'll tell me. I don't want to hurt you Isabella." "I promise Carlisle. Now get over here."

Climbing into bed next to her, I sat patiently as she asked, "Is there anything you want to talk about?" Just like that, all my nerves went away. Bella and I could talk as we eased into physical intimacy. Gently placing her between my legs as I leaned back against the pillows and headboard, I asked, "What did you realize after Marcus told us that the rape was the main reason behind our bond's fragility?" She leaned back against me and said, "When he told us that, I immediately remembered the day Edward called the house. I remembered the hatred in his voice when he spoke to you and when he spoke about me."

Grabbing my hand in hers, she said, "When Marcus said that the rape had prevented the consummation that would solidify our bond, I realized why Edward had done it in the first place." Slightly confused I asked, "And that is?" "Easy, his hatred of you and the fact that, in his mind at least, you condemned him to this life. What better way to get back at you then by ruining any chance we'd have at being a real couple? Especially any chances of you being with your true mate?"

Silence ensued as I thought about her evidence. It made perfect sense to be honest. Edward had never hidden the fact that he hated his immortal life or that he hated me for condemning his soul and making him into a monster. Still, why wouldn't he attack me for it? Why go after Bella when he knew that doing so would get him in trouble and possibly executed by the Volturi?

Kissing Bella's head, I said, "It makes sense Bella. We'll discuss it with Aro tomorrow. I have a feeling that not all has been revealed when it comes to Edward and I want to be prepared for the worst." She nodded and leaned her head back, kissing the corner of my mouth. Grasping her chin with my hand, I pulled her in for another one, kissing her deeply as her hands went around my neck.

The kiss was deep and passionate, but the position we were in was awkward. Breaking the kiss, I spun Bella around and placed her in my lap, my semi-hard erection between us. I was unsure about the new position at first, but Bella quickly assured me that it was okay by leaning forward and reconnecting our mouths in a deep kiss. I slipped my arms around her as I deepened the kiss even further.

Ever mindful of the fact that she needed to breathe, I broke the kiss after a few minutes and started kissing her neck and shoulders while also running my hands up and down her back. Her little sighs and moans told me that not only was she enjoying my touch, but also that I was in a safe area of intimacy. So when the strap of her nightgown slipped off, showing me a great deal more than I thought possible of the garment. I froze, waiting for her reaction.

Bella, feeling me pause, looked down to see what had made me stop. Seeing her nightgown almost exposing her breasts to me, I half expected her to pull it back into place and end our exploration for the night. But Bella never did the expected. In fact, she did something entirely unexpected yet arousing at the same time.

Keeping her eyes on me, Bella eased the fallen strap the rest of the way down her arm before sliding it off completely. As she reached for the second strap to expose the other breast, I put my hands on hers, stopping her. She immediately looked up, a look of rejection seeping into her eyes as she bit her lip. I knew what she was thinking and I also knew I had mere seconds to show her that I wasn't rejecting her.

Using my thumb to pry her often abused lip from her teeth, I softly caressed it as I asked, "Are you sure sweet girl?" Her eyes lit up and she nodded against my finger before saying, "Just go slow." I nodded and pulled her back to me, kissing her as deeply as I could as I slipped the other strap off her should and down her arm. Bella slipped her arm out of it, the top of the nightgown falling to completely expose her breasts to me. I broke the kiss and leaned back to gaze at her fully.

Her breasts were neither large nor small, a perfect size for her lithe body. Keeping my eyes on hers, I slowly ran my hands from her waist to her nipples, lightly caressing them. Bella bit her lip and arched into my hands, apparently enjoying my touch. I then gently took each nipple in between my pointer and middle fingers and pulled. That got a reaction I never expected, but enjoyed nonetheless.

Bella's eyes rolled into the back of her head as I played with her rosy pink nipples and she moaned loudly before rocking her center against my erection, which was rapidly growing against her once again. This woman was driving me mad and she probably had no clue that she was doing it.

Sitting up, I wrapped my arms around her as I seized her mouth with mine. As Bella wrapped her arms around me, I slowly flipped her onto her back, her warm breasts pressed against my cold chest and her nipples hardening even further. My body was settled in between her legs and I was slowly becoming more and more aroused as we kissed and I could feel Bella becoming wetter with her own arousal and I hardened even further.

Losing a little control, I rocked into her my erection evident. Bella froze and I immediately backed away, fearful that I had crossed a boundary she wasn't ready for. Looking into her eyes, I didn't see any fear luckily. All I saw was desire and a bit of nervousness. I asked, "Are you okay sweet girl?" She nodded and said, "I'm okay Carlisle. I was just surprised that's all."

Bella sat up and pulled the top of her nightgown back up and putting the straps back into place before curling up against me and resting her head on my chest. As we both took the chance to calm down I asked, "Surprised Isabella?" The heat of her blush was evident as she said, "I wasn't expecting you to be so…big." I started chuckling as she buried her face in my chest even further. After a few moments, I lifted her head and asked, "Does my size frighten you Isabella?"

She shook her head before saying, "Not really. I was just surprised. Never knew that about you. Are all vampires like that?" I laughed at her innocent expression before saying, "Venom only does so much little one. It can enhance if needed, but not by much. In my case, what you felt Isabella was all me. No venom." Her eyes widened at my statement and she asked, "That is all you? Holy crap."

I laughed against her head and just as I was about to kiss her, her cell phone went off, alerting her to a new text. She reached over, grabbed it and looked at the text. Sighing, she put the phone back on the nightstand and said, "That was Alice. They're on their way back. Aro, Caius and Marcus are staying at a hotel in Port Angeles." As she curled back up against me, I could sense she was tense and unhappy about something so I asked, "What's wrong?"

"Alice wants to talk in the morning. She'll want to ask me about tonight and I don't want to tell her." I will admit, my first thought was that she was ashamed of the intimacy we had shared. Then, as if she knew what I was thinking, she said, "I'm not ashamed of us. I just don't think it's any of her business what happens between us. I don't ask her about Jasper or Rose about Emmett, so I don't think she should ask or know about what goes on in our bedroom."

My heart soared at her reference to the room being ours and after a few seconds, I said, "I agree with you Isabella. It isn't any of their business. If Alice bugs you about what happens in our bed, tell her to mind her own business or I will deal with her myself." Bella nodded, kissed my chest before getting up and whispering something about using the bathroom.

While I waited for Bella to return, I thought about what had occurred between us tonight. We had progressed further than I thought we would in regards to physical contact and intimacy. I was still a little shocked at how far we did go, but I wasn't going to complain. I chuckled a little at the memory of her feeling my erection for the first time. My thoughts were broken by two things: Bella returning from the bathroom and the return of the rest of our family.

As Bella settled back into bed next to me, I could hear Jasper talking to Alice about leaving Bella alone in regards to what happened between us. He wasn't exactly ordering her to not bug Bella, but his tone implied the request. I knew he was trying his best to get Alice to respect both mine and Bella's privacy, but even I knew it was pointless. Alice would do whatever she wanted, regardless of how others felt. I didn't have to worry about the others, which I knew Bella was thankful for. Jasper was too much of a gentleman and Rose's friendship with Bella was too new for her to ruin it. Emmett, despite his crude ways and love of making Bella blush, would not tease her because of the rape. He knew, through his beginning with Rose, how difficult it would be for Bella to trust me enough to touch her in such a way.

Bella broke my deep thoughts by placing a trail of kisses up and down my chest. She asked, "So what's the plan for the rest of the weekend?" Pulling her closer to me I said, "Mostly we are going to try and figure out everything with Edward and come up with a suitable punishment. Also, Caius will probably want to talk about the possibility that you are slowly becoming a vampire." "Do you think it's possible?" "I'll admit, the idea has merit. With the dreams you've been having coupled with the fact that we don't know how much venom James was actually able to put in your system that day. I'll even admit that I'm not totally sure if Edward got it all out. If any reached your heart, then I definitely wouldn't have been able to tell."

She nodded against my chest and went silent. After a few minutes I asked, "Was there something you wanted to do Isabella?" "I was just wondering if you and I could do something together on our own." I smiled and asked, "Would you go out on a date with me sweet girl?" She giggled, but nodded against my chest before saying, "Just don't take me out to eat and we're good. Being the only one that can actually eat makes it weird." I chuckled and asked, "So as long as we don't go to a restaurant, I can plan anything for us to do?"

Bella nodded again and said. "I just wish there was more to do in Forks." "Why?" "I don't want to hide our relationship or how I really feel about you. Charlie knows, as do Angela and Ben, but I feel as if we're hiding from everyone else." "Well in a way, we have to. At least until after you graduate." Bella sat up and asked, "Why do we have to hide? I'm eighteen, so it's not like we're doing anything wrong or illegal." She back away near the edge of the bed as she said, "Unless you're ashamed to be seen with me."

As gently as I could, I pulled her back over to me and, after making sure that she was looking at me, said, "Isabella Marie Swan, I am in no way ashamed of you or us. I want the whole world to know that you are mine and I am yours. I just worry, after everything you've been through, that the petty minds of this small town will make things harder for you. They will become much crueler when they find out that you've entered into a relationship with your rapist's father."

"I don't care what other people think. If I did, I would have left a long time ago. I just don't want to hide that I'm with you. As for you being my rapist's father, this town knows you and know that you and Edward are nothing alike. Not to mention that you aren't related, so they can't blame you for anything." Pausing, she took a deep breath and then said, "Look, just promise that you won't hide how you feel for me when we go places here in Forks, or anywhere to be honest."

I smiled, kissed her and then said, "I promise you Isabella, that I will never hide how I feel about you ever again. If I could, I'd shout it from the middle of town, but I think that would embarrass us both." She blushed and nodded in agreement before saying, "Oh, and as far as PDA goes, I think it should be what's appropriate. I don't want us to be like Rose and Emmett, no offense to them. I definitely don't want people to compare us to Mike and Jessica either."

I laughed and hugged her close to me, glad that her mood had changed enough to joke about things. Kissing her forehead, I settled her back against my side and said, "Agreed sweet girl. Now we have an early start in the morning so you need your sleep. Good night Isabella." "Good night Carlisle." She cuddled as close as she could before shutting her eyes. A few minutes later her steady breathing told me that she was asleep.

As I held her slumbering body to mine, I thought about what just happened. Bella's reaction to my logic about concealing our relationship until she graduated had surprised me somewhat, but not completely. I knew that while she and Edward were together, they had appeared as a couple only at school and in front of Charlie. As I looked back, I realized that those were the only times they did seem like a couple. At the house, if one were unfamiliar with them, one would assume that they were just friends.

I knew when Edward had first begun to pursue Bella as a 'girlfriend', we all had cautioned him to not draw attention to himself. Had Edward taken that warning to the point where he didn't show Bella any affection unless he had to? Remembering Bella's look of longing and some jealousy at seeing the beauty and affection we all showed each other, I came up with another possibility. Did Edward destroy her self-esteem and her belief in love in order to ensure that she and I would never come together?

As I looked at the angel sleeping in my arms, I vowed then and there to do whatever I could or was necessary to make sure that Bella's view of herself was better than what Edward Masen left her with. I also vowed to never withhold any type of affection from her or have her believe I was ashamed of her…


End file.
